Toyota Vios 2007

The new VIOS 2007 had a press preview by UMW Toyota Motor. So, here some summary and picture that I get from some blog that talk about this new VIOS.

The new Toyota Vios is bigger than the previous version although it looks somewhat smaller because of it’s Toyota Yaris hatchback connections. Read more on the new Toyota Vios by jum into link that I provide below.






















Specification of the Vios 2007 you can look into this link.
Link to Vios Spec and Price

New Perodua Viva Launched today

There have already many rumors about the end of Kancil and Kelisa. Today, Perodua announce new arrival of car namely Perodua VIVA. Some details I get from news. There are 6 types of VIVA from 660cc Manual until to 1000cc Auto High Grade with starting price from $28,000 to $46,000. Also including Dual SRS Airbags and ABS. So I think this more interesting car to be purchased because before this if you buy Kancil and Kelisa , there no ABS or SRS Airbag. Want to know more about prices, types and accessories you can Read More.


Details of Perodua VIVA

660cc Manual - $28000
850cc Manual - $33000
1000cc Manual - $39000
1000cc Auto - $42000
1000cc Manual High Grade - $43000
1000cc Auto High Grade - $46000
(To be confirmed)

High Grade model
Dual SRS Airbags
ABS with EBD(brake assit)
Full Skirting
Spoiler
Signal light at Side Mirror
Auto Flip Side Mirror
Reverse Sensor
4 doors Power Window
Power Steering
CD player
Seat Height Adjuster - only for driver side
ALL 4 doors open angle up to 90'degree
14'inch Sport Rim

ALL D18D model comes with 3 cylinder, EFI fuel injection, DOHC 12 valve n DVVT engine!

Colour
W09 - Myvi White
S28 - Myvi Silver
209 - Myvi Black
G47 - Kelisa Imago Pearl Jde
G45 - Tropical Green@Toyota Avanza Green
R57 - Passion Red
B66 - Seppire Blue@Toyota Avanza Blue

Perodua Myvi Special Edition (Myvi SE)

Perodua launced new Perodua Myvi SE with new changes and addition. This car already available in showrooms for the past week. New specifications have been added into New Myvi SE including new front and rear bumper, rear spoiler, sideskirts, sport rims, meter panel, chromed muffler tip, leather seats, and center console's silver trim.

Perodua has stocked up to 1,000 of the new Myvi SE, so the buyers don't worried about waiting list. The sales have been target by Perodua to be 1,200 units per month.


Three sporty colours are available - Ebony Black, Mistik Red and Ivory White.




So, how much does it cost?

Perodua Myvi SE 1.3 GHS Manual (solid) - RM48,932
Perodua Myvi SE 1.3 GHS Manual (metallic) - RM49,455
Perodua Myvi SE 1.3 ZHS Auto (solid) - RM51,812
Perodua Myvi SE 1.3 ZHS Auto (metallic) - RM52,346

External View






Internal View

Proton in tie-up talks with Peugeot

Malaysian state-controlled car maker Proton Holdings is in talks with French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen to collaborate on the development and manufacture on new models, a business weekly reported.

The talks between Proton and PSA are believed to involve the development of a car for the Southeast Asian market that can be marketed either as a Proton or a Peugeot/Citroen, the Edge said, citing unnamed sources.


PSA may eventually take up an equity stake in Proton, it said, adding that senior management of both companies have met and are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding in a few months. Proton officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

The weekly also quoted sources as saying Proton’s shareholders and the Malaysian government had resumed partnership talks with Germany’s Volkswagen AG. In January the German firm pulled out of a joint venture plan with Proton after it failed to win control of the Malaysian firm. Volkswagen, the world’s fourth-largest car manufacturer, had been seen as essential to Proton’s survival in helping it fend off foreign competition, according to analysts.

Proton and Volkswagen may be looking into setting up a new company, which will jointly develop models that will be badged as Protons and sold in the domestic, Southeast Asian and Indian markets initially, the Edge said.

Proton will have a 49 percent equity stake in the new firm and Volkswagen 51 percent, with Proton injecting its manufacturing, engineering and sales divisions into it. Volkswagen has already designed a new platform to develop at least two new Proton cars, which could go into production “in a matter of months” for the Southeast Asian market, the weekly said.

Asked about the report a VW spokesman said, “(Volkswagen CEO) Dr Pischetsrieder said recently that Volkswagen is examining various projects with Proton. We are not commenting any further.” Pischetsrieder told investors in January that Volkswagen had scrapped plans to build VW-branded cars in Malaysia with Proton, but would continue limited cooperation.

“What we are investigating now is whether in a few isolated projects we can support Proton and I’d like to put the emphasis on exactly that word, to support Proton, and not to have any joint programmes or joint ventures or so but to support Proton,” he said.

Proton Managing Director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohd Tahir said this week that Proton was expected to finalise a recovery plan and seal an alliance with a strategic partner by the end of this year.

Proton was among Malaysia’s worst-performing companies in 2005, after competition from foreign car makers and a lack of new models lost the firm local market share and subsequently led it into a loss. It has since brought in a new chief, sold its loss-making MV Agusta motorbike firm and pledged to find a new technology partner.

Latest News: PSA Peugeot Citroen already pull-out to tie up with Proton. Currently, negiotation between Proton and Wolkswagen still on going.

Asian car makers storm into Europe

The aggressive advance of Asian car makers has become one of the overriding concerns of domestic automotive groups, not only in the United States, but also in Europe. In the US, Toyota's recent rise to the number three spot and Chrysler's fall to number four clearly shook many in the business.

While in Europe, Asian manufacturers currently have around 17% of the market.
Hyundai's success in Europe has been particularly pronounced. The South Korean car maker experienced 11% growth in 2002 while the overall market shrank by about 3%.

Toyota, meanwhile, hopes to lift sales in Europe by 50% by 2010.

"This is an aspirational figure. We do not know exactly how we want to get there yet, but we're aiming for around 1.2 million from around 800,000 this year," said Tadashi Arashima, chief executive of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe.

More gadgets

It seems it is what the Asian car makers are putting inside their vehicles that are making them so popular.

A good example is the Kia Sorrento. It has been voted Europe's best 4x4 by journalists, and is the best-selling sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Europe. The standard interior specification is helping it to beat rivals hands down. The spec includes cruise control, leather upholstery, air-con, a sun roof and a CD-player - all for 30,000 euros. It is no wonder that Western manufacturers are feeling nervous.

Take the BMW X3, the new SUV from the Bavarians. It is 33% more expensive than its Korean competitor, and although the engine is a bit bigger at three litres, it shares pretty much the same interior spec as the Sorrento.

Kia says it is simple economics how they manage to affordably fit it all in.


Value for money?

Kia's Getz is another case in point.

Volkswagen's new Golf European car makers are surrounded by competitors. This car is at the smaller end of the scale and certainly at a small price. For 8,500 euros you get a 1.6-litre engine, electric front windows, power steering, anti-locking brakes, twin side airbags and a CD-player as well.

Its nearest rival, Volkswagen's Polo, will set you back around 15,000 euros, with nowhere near as many features. And unlike the Getz, a CD-player is only available in an extras package costing an additional 2,500 euros.

Such shortcomings among the incumbent car makers explain why the Asians believe they will win an increasingly larger share of western car markets.

That is about 15% of the projected market for Europe in the middle of this decade.

Luxury

The Koreans also want to tackle the top end of the market. At 36,000 euros, Kia's Oprius executive model does not exactly have a pocket-money price tag. But in Kia's eyes it is a head-on collision with Mercedes' E-class.

Take a quick look at the German car's 57,000 euros starting price and you can see why cost-conscious companies might want to take a test drive with the Koreans. To be fair, the Asians can hardly be described as conquering Western markets.

In fact, some analysts suspect it could take 25 years before they dominate as much as 30% of the European market.

There is also the additional issue of quality.

The interiors of European models like the BMW X5 and X3 are significantly superior to anything the Asians produce. Besides, while the Asians are targeting the US and Europe, they are also facing an attack at home. Big Western manufacturers like General Motors and Ford are setting up shop in countries from China to India.

New Road Tax Rates for 2007

The government has made some changes to the private vehicle road tax structure, with effect 1st January 2007. Road tax rates have been lowered by amounts between 4% TO 33%. There has also been some changes to the excise duty structure. But for me, still this changes more effects to small capacity engine such but for big gun still suffering (or maybe not ... :D)

The following table illustrates the new road tax structure for the Peninsular Malaysia for vehicles that run on petrol:

Engine Capacity (cc)	Current	New
<>	RM30	RM20
1001 - 1200	RM65 to RM80	RM55
1201 - 1400	RM80.10 to RM100	RM70
1401 - 1600	RM100.10 to RM127.50	RM90
1601 - 1800	RM255.35 to RM325	RM200.40 to RM280
1801 - 2000	RM325.35 to RM395	RM280.50 to RM380
2001 - 2500	RM396 to RM895	RM381 to RM880
2501 - 3000	RM897.50 to RM2145	RM882.50 to RM2130
3001 - 5000	RM2149.50 to RM11145	RM2134.50 to RM11130

The following table illustrates the new road tax structure for the Peninsular Malaysia for vehicles that run on diesel:

Engine Capacity (cc)	Current	New
<>	RM30	RM20
1001 - 1200	RM130.30 to RM190	RM130
1201 - 1400	RM190.40 to RM270	RM140
1401 - 1600	RM270.40 to RM380	RM180
1601 - 1800	RM456.84 to RM624	RM400.80 to RM560
1801 - 2000	RM624.84 to RM792	RM561.10 to RM780
2001 - 2500	RM794.40 to RM1992	RM782.20 to RM1880
2501 - 3000	RM1998 to RM4992	RM1886 to RM4880
3001 - 5000	RM5002 to RM26592	RM4890.80 to RM26480

Chinese car market is world No 2

China car market Experts believe China could soon overtake the US market. China has overtaken Japan to become the world's second-largest car market after the US, official figures show.


Car sales - excluding people carriers and 4x4s - jumped 37% in 2006, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. Total passenger car sales rose 30.02% to 5.18 million units, CAAM found. Analysts said that newly affluent drivers had boosted sales, with some predicting China may overtake the US by 2015 as its economy continues to grow.

Overall, Chinese vehicle sales jumped 25% during 2006 to 7.22m units.

US relief

The booming Chinese car market has provided some solace for US vehicle makers suffering from declining sales in their domestic markets.On Monday, General Motors said total annual sales in China totalled 876,747 units, up 32% on 2005.

Ford sales for the year almost doubled, rising 87% to 166,722 units.Chinese consumers are not just buying the budget models, with many snapping up luxury cars. Rolls Royce, owned by Germany's DaimlerChrysler, reported a 60% jump in Chinese sales.