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If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.
If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.
If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.
If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.

If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.

If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.

If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while.

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If you’ve wondered what happened to the medium-sized A4 model in Auto Dunia’s Audi range, the reason is that the company simply finished its stocks during the time of the economic crisis and decided to hold back on assembling any new ones for a while. Furthermore, an improved model was about to be launched in Germany so the timing was right too.

On the 28th of May, the Audi A4 will return to the line-up of locally-assembled models in Auto Dunia showrooms, alongside the Audi A6. Like the earlier model which was sold in the mid-1990s, the latest A4 has a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine but its output is a lot higher, thanks to the 20-valve cylinder head and more importantly, a turbocharger with intercooler.

The high-performance engine delivers 110 kW (150 bhp) of power at 5,700 rpm and 210 Nm of torque between 1,750 and 4,600 rpm. With an automatic + 5-speed Tiptronic sequential gearbox, this gives the A4 1.8E Turbo a top speed capability of 214 km/h and acceleration time from 0 – 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds.

An interesting advancement is the use of a ‘drive-by-wire’ accelerator pedal in which there is no cable linkage. Instead, the pressure on the pedal is converted into a digital signal which is received by the computerised engine management system.

Visually, the new A4 follows the same styling as the previous model but has a number of cosmetic refinements said to give the car ‘a more mature look’. The bootlid has been slightly reshaped and there are new tail lights.

The A4’s handling has always been one of its stronger points and this is, in part due, to the use of a 4-link front suspension with a well-engineered torsion-beam rear suspension. The suspension settings have been revised for greater responsiveness, improved ride quality and lower noise levels.

Safety features have always been a hallmark of Audis and the new A4 has a full complement of them, from dual front and side airbags (installed in the front backrests), a strong bodyshell with extra reinforcement in the centre pillars for better resistance to side impacts and ABS with electronic brake force distribution for optimum stopping power.

According to Auto Dunia’s General Manager, Ken Chai, the new Audi A4 Turbo, priced at RM207,113 (inclusive of insurance) is expected to be the company’s top-selling model. He is optimistic that sales this year will average 30 units a month.

“We will be assembling only the A4 Turbo and will not be offering the non-turbo version,” he added.

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Finance companies dealing in H-P loans should continue to give car dealers their commission as it is an important source of revenue for them, said Perodua Managing Director Datuk Abdul Rahman Omar. He was commenting on Bank Negara’s recent directive to finance companies to stop giving commissions to car dealers.

“The amount of money a dealer can make per car is not that great and we have found that the commission from finance companies actually amounts to 40% or 50% of their revenue,” he said. “As such, I am not surprised that they are very concerned about this latest development.”

Datuk Abdul Rahman said that the finance companies need to realise that the 1% commission given is not merely a ‘reward’ because the car dealers are really their agents. As such, they would deserve something for the effort they put in to handle the paperwork.

“It is the car dealer’s personnel who recommend the finance company and who also collect all the necessary documents so that the finance company can process the application,” he said. “If the finance companies prefer not to give commissions for such efforts, then they will have to put their own staff in each showroom to serve customers.”

Industry sources also said that besides the 1% commission, many finance companies also offer additional ‘bonuses’ to salesmen for bringing in loan applications. Commenting on this practice, the Perodua MD felt that it should be stopped altogether and a standardised form of commission given by the finance companies.

“The best thing would be to lower the interest rate further to give some benefit to customers and also give the car dealers a commission of, say, 0.5%,” he suggested.

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Surveys have revealed that at least 20% of Malaysian consumers have a preference for imported products, even if they cost more than locally-made products. This finding has inspired Panasonic Industrial Co (M) Sdn Bhd (PICM) to introduce its range of Panasonic batteries for automobiles in the local market with the aim of selling 100,000 batteries annually by the end of 2001. The Panasonic batteries will be distributed by Tai Kwong Yokohama Bhd (TKYB), the leading battery manufacturer in Malaysia.

Speaking at a press conference relating to the development, TKYB Managing Director Y.K. Chow said that the addition of Panasonic batteries would broaden the company’s offering to consumers. He did not see the imported batteries affecting sales of the company’s own batteries which have been available for the past 30 years under the ‘Yokohama’ brand.

“There are many customers who prefer imported batteries so we want to also supply their requirements. Besides, there is a difference of about 25% in the prices of Panasonic batteries compared to the equivalent Malaysian-made ones,” he said.

The Panasonic batteries will be supplied by Panasonic’s factory in Thailand, Matsushita Battery Thailand (MBT), which has been in operation since 1997. This factory supplies mainly to the Thai market with less than half of its output being exported presently.

According to Y. Yokoe, the Managing Director of MBT, exports to the ASEAN region have so far been low but in view of the coming of AFTA – the ASEAN Free Trade Area – in 2003, increased efforts are being made to export in order to survive when more competition starts.

“There are already many battery makers in Thailand so MBT is now looking for more markets to take its output in future,” said Mr Yokoe. “We actually thought about selling in Malaysia as far back as 10 years ago but could not find a local distributor with a suitably large network.”

He revealed that PICM had recommended TKYB because it was already supplying non-automotive battery products to TKYB. “Furthermore, with their market leadership and over 30 years of experience in the business, we were confident that they would be the ideal distributor for us,” he added.

Indeed, TKYB’s distributor network is huge, with 6,761 dealers nationwide at present. “The car battery, being a ‘breakdown item’, is needed urgently by motorists when they have a failed battery. So it is important for TKYB to have dealers at every corner of the country and we have spent the past 33 years building up such a comprehensive network,” explained Mr Chow.

He said that demand by the replacement market in Malaysia is around 2.5 million batteries a year, of which TKYB has a 30% share. Some 65% of all new locally-assembled cars, including Proton, also come with its batteries as original equipment. Additionally, about 24% of its production is exported to 36 countries, including Britain.

“Now that we distributing Panasonic batteries, we are aiming to capture a 10% share of the imported battery market by the end of this year,” said Mr Chow.

With increasing concern for the environment, TKYB has also built a RM10 million battery recycling plant in Ipoh, Perak. This is the only battery- recycling plant in the country and handles 400 – 500 tons of used batteries a month. The batteries are collected by TKYB from throughout the country.

The latest range of Panasonic batteries are claimed to be 120% more powerful and durable than before. This improvement is due to technological features such as thicker plates, a new process of making the plates, the use of organic separators (instead of paper), new pole design, and new vent plugs. Retail prices will range from RM184 to RM559.

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Complementing its efforts to popularise on-line auto purchasing, Perodua is offering one unit of its new model, the Kenari, for an on-line auction. This will be the first time in Malaysia that a car has been put on auction using the internet and the total amount paid by the successful bidder will be donated to various charitable organisations through BAKTI, whose patron is Datin Seri Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

Announcing the unique promotion, Perodua Managing Director Datuk Abdul Rahman Omar said that auctioning will commence from 9 am on June 1st 2000 and the last bid will be accepted not later than 12 noon on June 9th 2000.

“The successful bidder will be presented the new model by the Prime Minister during the launching ceremony on June 14th,” he said.

He revealed that three more units of the Kenari had also been donated by Perodua for auctioning during the launch event (with the proceeds also going to charity) but three parties had already submitted substantial bids of RM100,000 and more for each unit. They are Daihatsu Motor Company of Japan (a shareholder in Perodua), Perodua’s vendor group, and Perodua dealers.

“I think that the e-auction unit can fetch up to RM80,000 so in total, at least RM400,000 or more should be collected for distribution to charity through BAKTI,” he said.

The Kenari being auctioned on-line will be a special one as it will have leather-upholstered seats and steering wheel and also leather door trim. The centre cluster of the dashboard will also be laminated in a special light grey and the exterior will be pearl white. And it will come with the pre-booked registration number of ‘WHP 9′.

“We managed to get a special price from JPJ for the registration number which I think would normally cost between RM25,000 and RM30,000 if obtained through the tender system,” said Datuk Abdul Rahman. “So the value of the Kenari being auctioned will be in the region of RM80,000.”

He clarified that the successful bidder, if not paying the entire amount, would only be able to obtain H-P financing for the normal retail price of the car, ie around RM40,000 and not the amount bid.

The on-line auction is being managed on behalf of Perodua by www.lelong.com.my , an affiliate website of autoworld.com.my which is the leading on-line auction website in Malaysia.

To find out more about the on-line auction of the year or to place your bid, visit www.lelong.com.my/kenari.

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As at 10:55 am today (June 2nd), almost 26 hours after bidding for the very first Perodua Kenari started, it appears that women are more eager to get the new mini-wagon to be launched on June 14th.

The highest bids so far have been made by women with the highest at the time of writing being RM59,500. The bidding started on June 1st at the RM40,000 level with the first bid being RM42,500. Bidding closes on June 9th 2000.

The retail price of the Kenari is to be between RM37,000 and RM42,000 but the unit being auctioned by Perodua on www.lelong.com.my is worth a lot more and not only because it will be the first unit delivered. It comes with leather upholstery and a specially reserved registration number (WHP 9), the latter having a value of at least RM30,000 if tendered for. So the value of the e-auction Kenari would be at least RM80,000.

The money paid by the successful bidder will be donated by Perodua to BAKTI for distribution to various Malaysian charities.

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With less than 24 hours to go, bids for the very first Perodua Kenari are rising quickly. As at 4:33 pm on June 8th 2000, the highest bid was RM80,000 and it is expected that the amount will soon be surpassed. The bidding started on June 1st at the RM40,000 level with the first bid being RM42,500.

According to a senior executive at www.lelong.com.my – the website which is managing the on-line auction on behalf of Perodua – bidding typically gets more feverish in the closing hours. Bidding closes at noon on Friday, June 9th 2000.

“The serious bidders don’t come in at the start since they know the bids will go up. So they wait till the last few hours and then start to place their bids. It is quite possible for the final bid to hit RM100,000,” said K.S. Wei, a director of Interbase Holdings Sdn Bhd, owners of www.lelong.com.my.

The retail price of the Kenari is to be between RM37,000 and RM42,000 but the special unit being auctioned by Perodua is worth a lot more and not only because it will be the first unit delivered. It comes with leather upholstery and a specially reserved registration number (WHP 9), the latter having a value of at least RM30,000 if tendered for. So the value of the e-auction Kenari would be at least RM80,000.

The entire amount of money received from the successful bidder will be donated by Perodua to BAKTI for distribution to various Malaysian charities. Perodua is also donating another three units of the mini-wagon for charity, in conjunction with the official launching of the new model on June 14th 2000.

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If you drop in at a UMW Toyota Motor showroom and take a close look at the Toyota Unser, chances are you’ll find that the gearlever is different and for an automatic transmission. Although not officially on sale, UMW Toyota Motor is already putting the additional variant in some of its showrooms and is taking orders.

According to a salesman AUTOWORLD.COM.MY spoke to, the Unser Automatic will be officially on sale in the near future. The approved price has not been obtained yet but the estimated price quoted by the salesman was RM82,000, inclusive of insurance. “Usually, our estimated price is quite close to what the actual price will be,” he said.

UMW Toyota Motor’s marketing department staff declined to elaborate on the new model or when it will be launched but a look at the latest catalogue shows the specifications of the automatic transmission as a 4-speeder with electronic controls. It will only be available with the 1.8-litre petrol EFI engine and not the 2.4-litre diesel.

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In the final 24 hours of the first-ever e-auction for a new model in Malaysia, the bids for the very first Perodua Kenari that will be delivered jumped from RM76,000 to the final successful bid of RM102,000 by Tan Yeong Ching. Tan’s bid – the 68th one – was submitted at 9:58 am, about two hours before the auction ended today. The bidding started on June 1st at the RM40,000 level with the first bid being RM42,500.

The retail price of the Kenari is to be between RM37,000 and RM42,000 but the special unit that was put on auction by Perodua is worth a lot more and not only because it will be the first unit delivered. Finished in a pearl white body colour, it has leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather door trim, special laminated centre cluster and a specially reserved registration number (WHP 9), the latter having a value of at least RM30,000 if tendered for. So its value would be at least RM80,000.

The entire amount of money received from the successful bidder will be donated by Perodua to BAKTI for distribution to various Malaysian charities. Perodua is also donating another three units of the mini-wagon for charity, in conjunction with the official launching of the new model on June 14th 2000. At that time, the successful bidder in the e-auction will also receive a mock key to the Kenari from the Prime Minister, who will launch the car.

The e-auction was managed on behalf of Perodua by www.lelong.com.my, a website operated by Interbase Holdings Sdn Bhd.

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The launch of the new Volvo S80 this month represents more than just another new car that the Swedish company is introducing to this market. It marks the beginning of a new era for the company in Malaysia with a new organization and new approach to selling cars.

Firstly, the presence and role of a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volvo Car Corporation known as Volvo Car Malaysia Sdn Bhd (VCM) is now fully evident. VCM has been in existence since May 1999 but has not been publicised much because it has been busy getting its infrastructure established and focussed on the new product launch. Referred to as a ‘sales company’, its basic functions are the import and wholesale of Volvo cars to the local dealer, Federal Auto Holdings Bhd (FAHB).

“Setting up a sales company in a market is not new; Volvo has been doing it for a long time in other places and has found it to be a more efficient business structure,” Lena Olving, Managing Director of VCM told Autoworld.com.my.

VCM’s functions include sales and dealer operations, marketing, technical training, customer service, process implementation, parts distribution and pricing strategies. “We don’t use the ‘McDonald’s formula’ where a standard practice and process is applied globally because each market has unique features and requirements so it is much better for us to be right here and have an intimate understanding of what is happening,” said Ms Olving of her organization which has mainly Malaysian staff.

Ms Olving said that FAHB was not pressured into giving up its previous role as franchise holder, importer and distributor. She said that the company, which has handled the Volvo franchise right from the start in the 1960s, understood the advantages of having VCM and had jointly submitted an application to the authorities.

“We established VCM not because FAHB has not been doing a good job; on the contrary, they have done well,” emphasised Ms Olving. “As a manufacturer selling globally, we naturally have the knowledge and expertise of marketing which is broader than what our local partner would have and we can share this global competence with them by being here. At the same time, we can invest more time and money in building our brand which is of great importance to us in the long-term,” she explained.

As before, Volvo also continues to have equity in FAHB and the present level is 16% with representation on the board. “With a stake in FAHB, we naturally would like to see it do well too!” she added.

With Volvo taking a more active role in marketing, there has been a quiet change in the company’s showroom/ head office in Kuala Lumpur. The building, situated alongside Jalan Klang Lama, is one of only three car showrooms in the city that has remained in the same place since the 1960s. It has been renovated in time for the S80 launch and now incorporates an art gallery, cafe bar and theatrette. The showroom in KL is the first to be renovated and the bigger showrooms in other towns will also receive upgrading of an almost similar nature.

“These additional facilities complement our approach to selling Volvos and allow us to impress upon our customers Volvo’s values,” said Pang Cheong Yan, VCM’s Marketing Director. “Even before we start to show our cars to customers, we want to make them comfortable and see a short movie that explains what we mean by ‘Volvo for Life’. It’s a ‘phased approach’ which gradually warms them to our products so that when we introduce the car, they are already positive towards it.”

The arrival of the new Volvo S80 has also been given extra publicity by the 12-day ‘Volvo for Life Festival’ at Bintang Walk in Kuala Lumpur (for further details, please refer to our earlier report).

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