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Results of the J.D. Power Customer Service Index (CSI) study, which measures satisfaction among vehicle owners who visited their authorized dealership service center for maintenance or repair work during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership, was just revealed for the 14th edition of the survey held in the Taiwan market.

The study was fielded between March and June 2011, with responses from 2,795 new vehicle owners (bought between March 2009 and June 2010) taken as the study sample. Overall satisfaction with the service experience is measured by examining five factors (listed in order of importance): service quality, vehicle pick-up, service initiation, service facility and service advisor. Based on a 1,000-point scale, the industry average of after-sales service satisfaction in Taiwan is at 857 points.

Among 15 brands included in the study, Lexus topped the charts for the 13th consecutive year, this time round raking in a score of 886 and performing particularly well in the area of of service quality. Following close behind was Mercedes-Benz, with a 17-point improvement from 2010 to score 884 points and take 2nd place in the process. Right behind Mercedes are BMW (876), Volkswagen (864), and local Taiwanese brand Luxgen (863).

The study finds an increasing proportion of customers (50% in 2010 to 56% in 2011) making prior appointments before bringing their vehicles in for servicing. According to findings of the study, overall satisfaction of customers who make appointments averages 12 points higher than among drop-by customers.

“Service appointments can help dealerships better plan and distribute their service loads, so that customers can receive prompt service when they arrive at the dealership,” said Rajeev Nair, senior manager of J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore.

Another service that dealership should really consider is the practice of making post-service calls to gauge customer satisfaction and feedback. J.D. Power says that customers who received calls from dealerships sometime after their service average 35 satisfaction points more than customers who don’t. Time to put that office phone into good use.

“Post-service contact is a critical component of the entire service experience, and can help dealerships discover any issues or problems customers may still be experiencing with their vehicle. Following up, whether through a phone call, letter, or SMS text, is also an opportunity to collect customer feedback for improvement initiatives at dealerships,” said Nair.

KON

Charts: Official J.D. Power release.

See also:
– J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2010 Malaysia Customer Service Index (CSI) Study results released
– J.D. Power announces after-sales survey results in Thailand and Indonesia

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GPS maker TomTom has just announced that the latest version of its TomTom iPhone App Version 1.8 is now available for download from the App Store. Updates to the app includes the latest maps in South East Asia, and countries included in the upgrade are Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The app’s latest version also includes a useful multi-stop routes feature, which allows drivers to pre-programme five stop-off points along their journey before setting off. So, for example, if you’re heading to Singapore, but along the way you need to refuel, pick your friend up, detour to Malacca for lunch, or anything else, you can programme all those check points into the system. This then, saves you time as you need not re-programme the GPS for a new heading at each stop, and it also allows the unit to give more accurate estimation of your arrival time.

Running on iOS4, the South East Asia TomTom iPhone App Version 1.8 is compatible to run with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS & the third generation iPod touch. It is available for download from the App Store at a price of US$69.99.

KON

Image: Official TomTom release.

See also: Updated TomTom GPS App for iPhone available for download

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Proton’s latest exploits in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge did not yield a win, but team continues to make notable strides with PG Andersson and Giandomenico Basso behind the wheel of their Satria Neo S2000 rally cars. Competition in the IRC is substantially tougher than the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, where the Neo S2000 has won three out of four rounds contested thus far.

Held at the south-eastern region of the Czech Republic, this leg of the IRC is noted for its popularity, with this season’s iteration attracting the participation of 123 competitors and crowds watching the rally estimated at 300,000.

The rally’s course stretches a distance of 248.48km, split over 15 special stages. Action started on Friday, 26 August, with a 9.36km super special stage that was run in the dark. Day two’s action spans nine special stages covering 133.4km, with the remaining six stages and 115km taking place in the third and final day. The S2000 category which Proton competed in attracted 29 entries, 14 of them driving the Skoda Fabia S2000.

Before the rally, Andersson, who admits a preference to driving on gravel and making his debut at Zlin, said, “The roads on this rally can be quite bumpy with some broken tarmac, which is good for me – this kind of condition suits me quite well. I haven’t competed in Zlin before, but I have heard a lot about the rally. I’m looking forward to getting out there and driving again to chase a good result.”

Andersson put up a solid display on the first day, driving a mostly trouble-free race to finish 10th overnight. He did spin once on stage 6, and then went off road again on stage 8, but was able to recover his composure on both occasions to find his way home. Team mate Basso was less fortunate, as he had to deal with a punctured tyre on stage 7 after spinning and stalling on stage 5. Adjustments to his suspension during midday improved his car’s setup, and Basso finished the first day in 18th place.

As the competitors retired for the night, heavy rain lashed on the grounds of the final special stages. That forced teams to tread with caution, but the two Proton drivers were able to improve their final standing as Andersson and Basso completed the rally placed 9th and 13th respectively. These results see Proton earning drivers’ and manufacturers’ points for the IRC through Andersson’s exploits.

The Czech rally was dominated by Skoda finishing in the top three positions with local driver, Jan Kopecky taking the top honours. Out of 123 starters, 34 competitors failed to finish the gruelling rally which comprised of 248.48km of competitive stages. The next stage of the IRC will be the Canon Mecsek Rally (9-11 Sept) at Hungary.

Pictures: Official Proton Motorsports release.

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Some of you who were traveling east on 27 August 2011 back to your families would probably had extra reasons to cheer after passing the Gombak Toll Plaza heading into the KL-Karak Highway. Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak, Group Chief Executive, CIMB Group and senior management of the Group greeted commuters and distributed 5,000 special CIMB Touch ‘n Go cards pre-loaded with RM10 cash value.

“We at CIMB Group would like to wish all Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri and all Malaysians Selamat Menyambut Hari Kebangsaan. We hope that these Touch ‘n Go cards will help ease the ‘balik kampung’ journey home for you to celebrate this joyous occasion with your family and friends,” said Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak.

The CIMB Group owns a 52.22% stake in Touch ‘n Go, and as a result, CIMB Bank and CIMB Islamic automated teller machines (ATM) cardholders get to enjoy free Touch ‘n Go reloads when the top-up is carried out at the bank’s ATMs.

KON

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Proton Holdings Bhd has announced an unaudited Group pre-tax profit of RM12 million for the first quarter of its 2011/2 financial year ending 31 March 2012. To some, that may sound like a lot of money, but putting things into perspective, the Group actually made RM105 million for the corresponding period last year, so profits have actually shrunk quite a bit.

Revenue has also come down, from RM2.29 billion in the corresponding period for the previous financial year, the Group raked in just RM2.23 billion this year – a RM60 million decrease. Proton further attributes the reduction in profits to the rebranding and restructuring exercises currently in place at its subsidiary Lotus Group International Limited. Proton’s unaudited cash and bank balances balance as at 31 June 2011 stands at RM1.41 billion.

Lotus is currently on a five-year business transformation plan, and activities under that plan includes firing of a new V8 engine – which took place last week, full completion of the new Formula One grade test track facilities in Hethel, presence of a merchandising web store with an extensive range of exclusive quality goods and near completion of its new factory building to accommodate the production of new models. New distributors for the brand have also been recently appointed at China, Australia, and New Zealand.

In terms of sales, Proton models enjoyed a 3% year-on-year increase in the domestic market, although the Group’s overall sales volume had actually declined. The recent amendment of the 1967 Hire Purchase Act (HPA) also saw a drop in financing approval rates by the banks that further affected sales volumes.

Proton Holdings Berhad Group Chairman Dato’ Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh said that the Group is encouraged by positive developments in large markets such as India and China. He noted that, “These factors, together with our efforts to tap into various other new and emerging markets, will spearhead Proton’s global exercise. The primary focus will be on offering customers good quality, reliable, exciting and value for money products backed by strong after sales service, a formula that has enabled models like the Exora MPV for example, to successfully attract the interest of buyers in competitive markets such as Indonesia and Thailand. In fact, in May 2011, the Exora won Best Budget MPV of The Year at the Indonesia Automotive Awards.”

For future developments, the Group is currently in the final stages of development for its new CFE engine, and its new P3-21A model, widely believed to be a replacement for the Persona, is said to be on target for a Q1 2012 launch. Last month, the Proton announced its Production Preparation Readiness at the Tanjung Malim plant where the car will be manufactured.

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The newly-opened 33km-long LATAR Expressway, which links Templar’s Park to Ijok passing by Kuala Selangor, Assam Jaya, Ijok, Batang Berjuntai, Kota Puteri, Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, Bukit Jelutong, Sungai Buloh, Kundang, Rawang, and Selayang will start operation of its toll gates tomorrow having been available free for use over the past couple of months.

Toll charges, which will commence on 1 September 2011, 12:01am at each of its three toll plazas (Ijok, Kuang, and Templar’s Park), are as follows:

As per Malaysian highway standards, the toll charges are payable by cash, Touch N Go, and Smart Tag.

KON

Map: Official LATAR release.

See also:

See also:
– Highway linking KL to Kuala Selangor nears completion
– Last beam up for LATAR Expressway interchange at Templer’s Park
– LATAR Expressway set to open before end of June

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The ‘Test Drive & Win’ campaign, organized by Nissan distributors Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd, has found its first winner, and she is Seremban lass Dr Aida Adlina binti Anuar, who now has a brand new Nissan Grand Livina 1.6 A/T parked at her porch.

Currently stationed in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, the 27-year-old medical officer will be leaving her brand new car in the custody of her folks back in her hometown.

“We intend to grow our Nissan fans via this campaign and we are very proud to receive such massive support from our fellow Malaysians even in the first round itself! We will definitely continue to actively engage and reward our customers with more campaigns in future,” said Dato’ Dr Ang Bon Beng, Executive Director of ETCM

With the Livina now given away, the campaign’s second round from 1 August to 30 November has commenced, with a Nissan Sylphy being the next prize on offer.

To join the “Test Drive & Win” contest, one will just need to come to test drive any Nissan vehicle at any ETCM showrooms or participating authorised dealership within the stipulated contest period. By doing that, he or she will get one entry for the contest and six entries for those who purchased a Nissan vehicle.

KON

Picture: Official ETCM release.

See also: ‘Drive Me Cra2y’ – Test drive a Nissan to win a Nissan!

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Sepang, 26 August 2011 – It is here at last, the long awaited Volkswagen Polo GTi. This is a car that petrol heads, or driving enthusiasts dream about – a small car with a powerful engine, DSG, and as an added bonus, economical to run as well. The Polo GTi was launched today to the media at the Sepang International Circuit in conjunction with the Scirocco R Cup race, which is scheduled to run over this weekend, 27th and 28th August 2011.

Presented to the media by Mr. Ricky Tay, the new Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Malaysia, the Polo GTi is set to get adrenaline pumping and hearts beating faster, especially amongst the young and the young at heart.

I tested the previous Polo GTi about 3 years ago, and that model, with a 1.6 litre engine and 150 horses under the hood, had me going crazy over it. Now, the new Polo GTi is even more exciting, with the power boosted up to 180 horsepower from its 1.4 litre twin-charged engine. This engine is similar to that of the Golf TSi, and some tweaking of the ECU gave it the magical 20 horses extra.

Mated to a 7-speed dry-clutch DSG, the Polo GTi scoots from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in a mere 6.9 seconds, and hits a top speed of 229 kilometres per hour. A pleasant surprise is the Polo GTi’s rated fuel economy of only 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres. This is one car that not only gives an exhilarating driving experience, but is easy on the pocket as well.

The media were treated to a test drive around the Sepang International Circuit, followed by a short road test to give every one a feel of the car, an offer that was not refused.

I was given four laps, and these were four fun-filled laps that resulted in many grins stretching from my left ear to my right ear as I put the Polo GTi through its paces. My colleague will be putting up a quick first drive impressions on this site, whilst I shall extol the Polo GTi’s virtues insofar as specifications are concerned.

Mr Ricky Tay went on to announce that two variants were available – a 3-Door and a 4-Door model – priced at RM132,888 and RM135,888 respectively. This price was met with great enthusiasm, and I would expect that many of our readers will be making a beeline to the nearest Volkswagen showroom to check it out.

The Polo GTi comes with GTi seats, and the GTi DNA from its bigger sibling, the Golf GTi. The front mask carries the characteristic GTi grille that has a red accent line across it from left to right, and the red-painted brake callipers. Inside, there is the GTi DNA such as bucket seats with more than adequate side padding, and despite its size, there is plenty of legroom for both front and rear occupants.

Brakes are discs all around, while the suspension is slightly different from the Golf in that the Polo carries a torsion beam at the rear. The car is great to drive, and handles as well as the Golf. Handling remains very sure-footed, and I found the car to be quite well behaved.

Standard equipment, other than the ABS brakes, includes TCS, ESP and EBA. The DSG comes with a manual mode and paddle shifters – just the things that will please the petrol head. As for me, the Polo GTi is a ‘must own one this lifetime’ type of car.

I am particularly fond of it – it is a car that is affordable, is powerful enough to satisfy any petrol head – now I have to go do a little persuasion in the right quarters.

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Continental Sime Tyre PJ Sdn Bhd will be organizing a special Hari Raya campaign giving motorists free tyre checks at selected highway rest stops.

On 25 – 29 August 2011, a team from Continental will station itself at the Temerloh Rest Area (East Bound) on the East Coast highway, whilst on 6 – 10 September, they will be stationed along PLUS highway at Gunung Semanggol (South Bount) and Ayer Keroh (North Bound). The teams will come equipped with tyre changing facilities, so motorists can drive off with their cars shod in new tyres immediately.

In conjunction with the festive period, Continental is also giving away exclusive Continental mugs for every purchase of 2 tyres and Continental flask set for every purchase of 4 tyres. These promotions are whilst stocks last and available at all participating outlets.

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At the upcoming IAA in Frankfurt this September, Ferrari will be debuting a convertible version of the 458 Italia, the 458 Spider, which comes with Maranello’s own patented fully retractable hard top. According to Ferrari, this makes the 458 Spider the world’s first mid-engined berlinetta so equipped.

Like the Italia, the 458 Spider is driven by the award-winning 4.5-litre direct injected V8 mated to a dual-clutch transmission. The motor is of the increasingly endangered naturally aspirated high-revving breed. Its maximum torque of 540Nm is produced at 6,000rpm, and its full power of 570hp is unleashed at an even higher 9,000rpm – a point where most tachometers don’t even read.

The 458’s hardtop is made of all-aluminium construction and deploys in just 14 seconds. Ferrari even claims a 25kg reduction in weight over a traditional folding soft top, though how that is even possible is beyond us. Its construction is compact, allowing it to be fitted neatly into the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or performance.

Management of air flow is extremely important to convertibles, and in the 458 Spider, buttresses were designed to optimise the flow of air into the engine intakes and transmission fluid radiators. There is an electric wind stop designed to slow and diffuse air in the cockpit allowing for normal volume conversations to take place at speeds over 200kph.

KON

Pictures: Official Ferrari release.

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