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If there is one thing about Malaysian buyers, it is that they love body kits and they love special edition vehicles. The car makers are undoubtedly aware of this insatiable need, and they are of course more than happy to capitalize by offering option boxes for you to tick away thousands of your hard-earned for a set of skirts around your new ride.

Every once in a while, they also come up with special or limited editions of certain models slapped with decorative stripes and various look-fast bits at the cost of a few extra thousands on top of the purchase price. Despite not offering any tangible performance gains, these things tend to get snapped up and they get snapped up real fast.

The latest in this long line of blinged-up cars is the Mitsubishi Triton RA Edition, which is based on the 2.5-litre automatic model of the Triton and limited to just 500 units and offered at a price of RM103,980 inclusive of insurance in Peninsula Malaysia.

Powered by the same 134hp / 314Nm 2.5-litre commonrail direct injection engine as the standard Triton 2.5, the RA Edition comes with a range of Mitsubishi Ralliart accessories to justify its bigger price tag. A pick-up truck with racing stickers may seem absurd at first, but remember that the Triton has actually competed in the arena of motor sports, notably the AAM Malaysian 4×4 Rally Championship.

So, what are you getting out of your extra money? Stuff in the RA Edition goodie bag include a tonneau cover, bumper extender, a unique racing element body sticker, window visor, racing inspired interior with Ralliart embroidery logo on the seats, aluminium scuff plate, limited edition Triton RA carpet mat, Ralliart emblem, and a limited edition serial number plate on the centre console.

Seats are finished in leather, and in-car entertainment is provided in the form of an LCD touchscreen system which features a built-in GPS navigation system and reverse camera. This adds on to the Triton’s standard safety kit that includes ABS, EBD, anti-intrusion brake pedal, collapsible steering column, seat belt pre-tensioner and load limiters, and dual airbags.

Folks in Peninsula Malaysia can get their hands on the Triton RA Edition today, but those in East Malaysia will have to wait till 5 September 2011. The RA Edition is available in two colours – Black Mica and White Solid. Owners get to enjoy a 3-year/100,000 km warranty as well as Mitsubishi’s 2-Years free maintenance package.

Pictures: Official Mitsubishi release.

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The first agenda in our recent visit to Continental AG’s facilities in Germany was a tour of the Interior division’s development centre in Babenhausen. There, we had a look at Continental’s collection of instrument clusters and centre stacks used by cars from the past, present, as well as prototypes for future development.

One of the items on display that caught our attention was an instrument panel that originates from the Perodua Viva. The panel, along with several others, are actually products of our own backyard, being made in Continental’s Penang plant. The Penang plant started life making instrument panels for the original Proton Saga, but these days its list of clientele boasts names such as Harley Davidson, BMW, the Volkswagen Group (and that includes Bentley), Mercedes-Benz, and Maserati.

Continental’s Telematics systems are used in many different cars, private or commercial.


So, what does the Interior division do?

Looking at the big picture, Continental’s range of products from its Interior division alone includes navigation systems, heads-up display, telematics, multimedia and infotainment systems, passive start and entry systems, tyre information systems, and the aforementioned instrument clusters. The increasingly complicated nature of cars today makes it important for all of the above features to be harmoniously integrated into the vehicle’s setup to create a user-friendly human-machine interface (HMI).

Compounding the problem of increasing complexity in modern vehicles is also the need to maintain simplicity and intuitiveness in the operation of such systems. Being in the business of reviewing cars, we can assure you that if a test car comes our way with an interior that cannot be operated without us having to refer to the manual, you can rest assured that it will be panned. Majority of consumers don’t read manuals, and this is a fact that needs to be taken into account when designing a good cabin.

Star Trek-inspired capacitive touch interface.


The ErgoLab Driving Simulator

In Continental, the approach is to have a team that evaluates its HMI setup from a user perspective. There is still a team of engineers responsible for wiring everything together, but if the evaluation team says it is too complicated to operate, it’s back to the drawing board. Inside the Babenhausen facility, Continental has what it calls the ErgoLab Driving Simulator used for the development and demonstration of HMI concepts.

Inside the ErgoLab is a simulator, which consists of an actual BMW E60 parked inside a dark room and surrounded by huge screens which projects images on a 180 degree arc around its front end. The side and rear view mirrors are also replaced with screens to provide as convincing a simulation as possible of various driving scenarios. As part of its development process, Continental regularly puts people from the streets into the ErgoLab to ‘drive’ the car whilst operating its various controls. The system is able to measure up to 40 driving indicators as a basis for evaluation. Test subjects are paid, so if you’re somewhere around Babenhausen and you need some pocket money, you know where to go.

Being at the lab itself and watching it in action, there is a disorienting sensation seeing the huge screens feed back images to convey the sense of motion, but yet not feeling the G-forces. The quality of images on display are not unlike those you see in video games, but my observation is that physics engine of the simulation is pretty accurate. It even simulates nose-dive under braking.

Actual Driving, in Regensburg

The next day, we found ourselves 300km away from Babenhausen at Regensburg, where Continental’s Powertrain division is based. The facility, which used to belong to Siemens, also contains a test track where we had the opportunity to experience Continental’s innovations from in real life. During the session, we had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Audi A7 Sportback and Volkswagen Passat CC. Also present was a huge Mercedes Actros truck, which Continental uses to showcase its innovations for commercial vehicles.

While equipment such as blind spot detection and lane departure warning are more commonly associated with Mercedes’ line of passenger cars, the more advanced European market are now paving the way for these safety features to be made standard on trucks. The Mercedes Actros truck, in which we driven around the small test track, had both those systems, and they worked as well as those that we’ve tested in our best test cars.

The Audi A7 TDI test car was a stock standard unit from the factory and was placed there to showcase its heads-up display unit supplied by Continental. Information displayed by the projection includes current speed, speed limit warning, and GPS directional arrows. Judging from the high quality of the image displayed, it would appear that this is a slightly newer generation HUD compared to the ones Continental supplies to BMW for the F10 5 Series.

A7’s HUD has excellent resolution.


Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System

In recent years, a number of developed markets have introduced legislation mandating the use of tyre-pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) in road vehicles. Many high end cars have been featuring TPMS even in our roads, and with legal factors now coming into play, it is only a matter of time before its use becomes widespread.

Continental’s latest generation TPMS utilizes a tyre mounted sensor glued to the inside of the tyre itself. Programmed with the relevant specifications of the tyre, the sensor measures a variety of data including the length of the tyre’s ‘footprint’ on the road. While tyres that self-regulate their own pressures are not yet possible, Continental has a couple of innovations that make life easier when you refill air into your tyre. For example, the TPMS could trigger the car’s horn when the tyre is properly filled, or for cars equipped with sufficiently advanced infotainment systems, there is an app that allows you to sync your Apple mobile device with the TPMS system and give you live readings of your tyre pressure. No need to stretch your neck to read the air pressure gauge.

An iPhone app that gives you tyre pressure readings. Now that’s cool and useful.


Simplify Your Drive

Simplify Your Drive is essentially a concept, which bundles the controls of various vehicle systems into one control interface. Users can alternate between various settings by switching through various profiles to suit their mood and character. At this stage, if you think this sounds familiar, it is because we’ve written about this when covering BMW’s ConnectedDrive.

The Volkswagen Passat CC test car mentioned earlier serves as one of Continental’s test beds for this concept. Mechanically, it retains all the bits from the factory, but Continental has retrofitted a custom-made dashboard, and probably adjusted some settings in the vehicle’s ECU. The vehicle can be piloted in three drive modes – Sport, Eco, and Comfort.

In each of the three modes, we were able to pick up noticeable differences in engine and transmission behaviour. Particularly of note is how the accelerator pedal noticeably ‘hardens’ when Eco mode is pressed, discouraging full-throttle driving. Those sitting at the rear seats also reported improved comfort levels in the Comfort setting.

This VW Passat CC is retrofitted as a testbed for Continental’s Simplify Your Drive system.


Next Up… we visit the Powertrain division.

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The earthquake in Japan earlier this year has hit various industries hard, including the automotive sector. The supply and delivery of various parts were affected as manufacturers took months to return to full force. Honda Malaysia had to suspend order taking of the Insight from April to May, but the books were reopened on 1 June.

Recent Insight customers have been dealing with waiting periods of two to three months, but Honda Malaysia today announced that the wait will be shortened to less than a month from now on. The earlier shortage of parts also forced a price increase, as the Insight’s sticker price now reads RM99,800 with insurance instead of the previous RM98,000.

“Now that the production in Japan has resumed with full force, the supply for Insights is very much improved. Hence now is a good time to visit Honda’s authorised dealer and book the car,” Mr. Ueno ended with an upbeat note.

The Insight has proved popular among buyers, having already exceeded 75% of its 4,000-unit annual sales target at the time of writing.

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The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (MIROS) has announced the appointment of Assc Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon as its Director General with effect from 1 Aug 2011, replacing Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, who ends his secondment from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at MIROS.

Dr Wong himself is also seconded from a university, his primary employers being Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He possesses a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Dublin City University, and has been Director of MIROS’ Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics (VSB) Research Centre since 2007.

KON

Picture: Official MIROS release.

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Goodyear has launched its two latest Ultra High Performance (UHP) tyres of the Eagle F1 family, namely the Asymmetric 2 and Directional 5. A regional launch was recently in Hua Hin, Thailand, but local car enthusiasts were given a treat as Goodyear Malaysia hosted a number of car clubs at a launch-cum-test event held at the Proton Test Track in Shah Alam.

Participants of the event were gathered early in the morning at the main gate of Proton’s Shah Alam plant, where they were then ferried deep inside the facility to the test track. Similar to what companies organize for media events, participants were given a full briefing of both products and had the opportunity to try out both tyres in a series of wet and dry handling tests.

Among those present were a clutch of Autoworld members, namely vr2turbo, nofear1979, and mubull. Their presence were courtesy of our esteemed partners Quick Save Auto Boutique, who were given access to a number of seats in the event. Car clubs present at the event included the VW & Audi Club Malaysia, VW Sirocco Owners Club Malaysia, BMW Club Malaysia, My Latio Club, Lancer GT Club, Caldina Club Malaysia, Italia Auto Club, 8 Gen Civic Club and the Proton Inspira Owners Club Malaysia.

“The local launch involved 11 car clubs whose members put the tyres through the most stringent of tests with the aim of demonstrating why these tires are the top in class. Goodyear’s dealers also have continued to play a vital role in assuring drivers the confidence and comfort of our continuous commitment in providing quality and service,” said Richard Fleming, Managing Director, Goodyear ASEAN.

Participants started the day with the Eagle F1 Directional 5. Split into four groups, participants rotated between four activity stations which were wet slalom, dry slalom, circuit taxi ride, and a full product briefing. To add some excitement, prizes were in store for participants who clocked the best times in the wet slalom exercise.

The Directional 5 incorporates SportGrip Technology to with emphasis placed on handling, style and performance on the street. Its directional tread helps maximize water dispersion, thus providing optimum performance on wet roads. A successor of the GSD3, the Directional 5 is available with sizes to fit 15″ – 20″ rims at prices from RM290 to RM705 per piece.

In the afternoon, activities then shifted to the higher range and more expensive Asymmetric 2, available in 17″ – 20″ sizes priced between RM535 and RM1,710 per piece. The exercises were identical, but in the place of Honda Civics used in the morning, participants were now placed behind the wheels of the BMW 320i.

The Asymmetric 2 is Goodyear’s first tyre to feature ActiveBraking Technology which is said to help deliver up to 3 meters shorter stopping distance on wet roads (from 80kph) and up to 2 meters on dry roads (from 100kph) when tested against three unnamed leading competitors. The said test was performed in Europe using an Audi A7 shod in 255/40 R19 tyres.

Following these performance tests, a drift demo was conducted by the drifters of Team Goodyear, including its newest member, Tan Tat Wei. A Time Attack Challenge, which was an autocross of sorts, was also held in the afternoon for participants to test the performance of the new tyres and try their luck at winning some prizes (an iPad2 included) as well.

“It was fun and exciting. I enjoyed it very much, though it would be even better if Goodyear could extend the testing/trial a bit longer,” said vr2turbo, a veteran member of Autoworld Forum.

Most of the participants present appeared to enjoy themselves, and we look forward to see more such events where you, members of the public, have the opportunity to put products to test the way we do in the media. Follow the forum link below to get the forum members’ perspective of the event.

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Chevron Malaysia Limited (Chevron), operators of the Caltex brand, is consolidating its business model in Malaysia by offering retailers greater operating flexibility with its Retailer Owned, Retailer Operated (RORO) programme. The RORO programme allows retailers (i.e. fuel station operators) virtually limitless options in tailoring their businesses to suit their clientele.

“Our unique value prepositions ensure prospective and current retailers alike are able to leverage on the value of a world-class brand and learn from experts commited to a profitable business. Chevron has also developed training modules targeted at improving customer service by retailers and customer service representatives and making a competitive market work for you. This comprehensive program translates to an opportunity to earn potentially higher returns,” said Jeremy Oh, Country Chairman, Chevron Malaysia Limited.

To start up a Caltex station, Chevron requires prospective retailers to bring on the table a piece of land measuring at least 40,000 square feet and a minimum investment capital of RM 2 million to fund for building construction, facilities, equipment, and working capital.

There is a high level of flexibility afforded for retailers to customize their backcourt offerings such as convenience stores, franchise outlets, and customize promotional offerings. At a media briefing yesterday, Mr Oh was quoting examples of retailers who set up side businesses like car washes, bakeries and even one that has a barber to complement the core business of selling fuel.

At the same media briefing, Chevron also brought the media up to speed with its progress in implementing the Government’s plan to have all diesel pumps in the Central Region (Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, and Selangor) selling B5 biodiesel by 1 November 2011.

Mr Oh said, “Chevron is well-positioned to ensure a timely and seamless implementation of B5 across the Central region. In line with our commitment towards quality fuels, our B5 offering will feature the proven cleaning power of Techron D. We are also working closely with the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board to monitor consumer feedback and awareness.”

Chevron has begun operations of a fully functional B5 biodiesel blending facility in Pulau Indah, which took them eight months to complete. Currently, 29 Caltex fuel stations in Malacca and Negri Sembilan are already selling B5 biodiesel, with their remaining 73 stations in other parts of the Central Region set to follow by the 1 November deadline.

The implementation of B5 biodiesel is limited not only to Caltex but also to all brands of fuel, so regardless which station you go to, if that area is mandated to sell B5, it will sell B5 whether you like it or not. As of now, BMW Group Malaysia has officially announced that their diesel-powered models will have no problems accepting B5 bio-diesel. The Government has yet to announce a roadmap of future implementation of B5 biodiesel for the rest of the country.

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We have all received our fair share of scam emails saying that we’ve either won some random lottery or inherited a generous fortune from some unknown chap who just kicked the bucket in some faraway country. These are the oldest tricks in the book as far as online con jobs are concerned, but they still work.

Because email is free, scammers send thousands upon thousands of such emails to random addresses, and chances are one or two of the recipients will fall for it. It’s not always money though. Sometimes you are ‘given’ nice cars, and very often, they are BMWs. Late last year, at BMW Group Malaysia’s prompting, we highlighted one particular scam called the ‘BMW Car International Promotion Program’.

Well, folks, there’s a new BMW scam in town, and it is the `Annual BMW Series Lottery Draw`, which bears actual company addresses for BMW Group Malaysia and BMW Credit (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. The two companies today issued a statement highlighting this campaign and stated that it ‘not initiated and recognised by both BMW Group Malaysia and BMW Credit (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and should be deemed illegal’.

Additionally, the Mrs Shahida Idris name used in the email scam is clarified to be neither an employee nor a representative of either company. In its official statement, BMW Group Malaysia advises customers ‘to be especially aware of this email spam activity and to not entertain the email communication nor enter into communication with Mrs. Idris or the parties’.

Furthermore, BMW Group Malaysia also wishes to highlight that the mail was spread at random on via its protected database system. The company also expresses its regret at any inconvenience caused to customers by this activity.

The attached images with this article is the actual reproduction of the scam email provided to us by BMW Group Malaysia. A pretty sloppy effort, actually.

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We all know Lotus as being the maker of small cheerful sports cars that offer the purest of driving experiences. Lotus cars have little in the way of power, but they are also very light in weight, so they accelerate fast, stop fast, corner fast, and react fast.

The overarching principle behind Lotus’ car making philosophy is that with less weight on board, you need less of an effort to move the car with a given amount of power. So you get more speed, more efficiency, and most importantly, an undiluted driving experience. This philosophy has no room for amenities such as air-conditioning, radio, and power windows.

Styling is unmistakably Lotus, and resembles a grown up Elise.


While the enthusiast in us may view such a purist approach with admiration, living with it is a different thing altogether. Your Elise may make you grin from ear-to-ear when you blast your way up Genting Highlands, but its raw nature can be tiring to deal with on a daily basis. As such, a Lotus is best used as nothing more than a weekend fun car parked alongside something more sensible in your porch.

The Evora then, is Lotus’ attempt to broaden its appeal and challenge the likes of Porsche and Ferrari in producing vehicles with a slightly bigger mass market appeal. That is why it has power steering, leather seats, air-conditioning, and touchscreen multimedia unit. There is even the choice of automatic transmission, previously unheard of in a Lotus. To top it all off, it weighs a portly 1,382kg – almost double the original Elise’s weight.

The extra pounds are fortunately offset by extra power, as Lotus plonked in a Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6 engine. In Malaysia, we can see this same engine powering the Lexus RX 350, as well as the Alphard and Vellfire MPVs. Of course, in this iteration, the 2GR-FE Dual VVT-i engine is given a sportier tilt with Lotus’ own custom engine management system liberating 276hp @ 6,400rpm. This being a good old-fashioned naturally aspirated port fuel injection engine, maximum torque of 350Nm peaks at a high 4,700rpm.

So, not quite Lotus? Well, not as raw perhaps, but as I discovered in a quick spin to Gohtong Jaya via the old Jalan Gombak, the Evora has other tricks up its sleeve to serve up a pretty magical driving experience. If we were to summarize the Evora’s dynamics in one word, ‘balanced’ would be the closest fit.

Evora’s chassis has an amazing balance.


That the Evora is able to corner hard with a hint of playfulness from its tail is a given, but what was amazing is how Lotus was able to achieve those characteristics and still leave the Evora with a very pliant and comfortable ride. I have tested family sedans and MPVs that are harsher and less comfortable. The extraordinary comfort levels go hand-in-hand with a well-sorted NVH package. You hear the Toyota V6 bellowing behind you, but little else – wind and road noise are sufficiently muted to allow uninterrupted conversations at highway speeds.

The secret behind the superbly judged balance between the Evora’s ride and handling characteristics is so simple and intuitive that you wonder why so few manufacturers get this right. The first ingredient of the recipe is an ultra-stiff chassis, and followed a vehicle centre of gravity that is as low as possible. These two design features alone already help to keep body roll and nose-dive at a minimum, and that allowed Lotus to specify softer suspension settings which account for the magic carpet ride.

It’s quite one thing to explain the above in theory, but experiencing them in the flesh proved memorable. On poorly surfaced roads, the Evora irons out imperfections in a way you would barely believe possible when you first lay eyes on its low-slung body. Yet, when you take it out on winding back roads, it just grips and goes. The sensation is that the whole car’s mass is simply pivoting about you as you send it flowing from corner to corner.

Our test car was the base Evora with 6-speed manual transmission. As befitting of a performance car, the gear changes were slick, with slots properly defined, although I felt the distance between adjacent gates could be closer. The offset pedals took some getting used to, but they are perfectly spaced for heel-toe downshifting, though you will need to be mindful of a grabby brake pedal.

6-speed manual from Toyota is slick, but gears are placed a little far apart.


So, once again, Lotus got the driving part of the Evora spot on, but does it live up to its promise of being a car that you can live with everyday? Well, it does, but compromises are still needed – the Evora’s ergonomics are still not perfect. There is no space along the centre console to drop your phone in, but bottle holders are built in to the inner door panels. It is also almost impossible to adjust the seat back with the doors closed, such is the tight space between door and seat.

Cabin entry is still not the easiest, and you’re still expected to make ergonomic compromises.


These little nibbles, however, do not detract from the fact that Lotus has produced a superb driving machine here. It does not have the polish of a Porsche or a Ferrari, but like the Elise and Exige, the Evora is a car for those who value the joy of driving above all else. The difference with the Evora is that you can actually live with it on a day-to-day basis.


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Results of the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study are out for the Philippines and having witnessed two consecutive years of decline, it would seem that the distributors there are getting their act together as the study finally reported an increase in new vehicle sales satisfaction.

Now in its 11th year, the study measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale in seven key factors that contribute to overall satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: delivery process; delivery timing; salesperson; paperwork; deal; sales initiation; and dealer facility. All nine brands included in the study recorded improvements, leading to a 10-point increase in the industry average score to 829.

“The study finds a strong connection between sales standard implementation and overall satisfaction,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Overall improvement in the industry in 2011 is largely driven by more rigorous implementation of sales standards and processes across most manufacturers.”

Highest ranked amongst the nine brands are Nissan with a score of 839 having particularly excelled in delivery process and salespersons, with Ford trailing close behind at 835. Up and rising Kia stays below industry average at 823, but they are the most improved brand with a 40-point jump from their previous haul in 2010.

We have always encouraged consumers to test drive their cars of choice themselves before signing on the dotted line, and this seems to be a practice that is increasingly being adopted in the Philippines. There is a bigger percentage of customers being offered test drives by dealerships, and there is also a bigger proportion of customers accepting offers for a test drive.

“Getting an opportunity to test drive a vehicle prior to purchase is becoming an integral part of the decision-making process in the Philippines,” said Arora. “It is critical for dealers to address this evolving need by positively and promptly responding to requests for test drives, as this could become a differentiator between dealerships and brands.”

Another practice worth being adopted by dealers would be to have vehicles delivered to the home of customers because that is found to make a notable increase in customer satisfaction. Customers who have cars sent to them have satisfaction scores averaging at 830, whilst those who had to make their way to the dealership only averaged 823. This fact does not seem lost on the dealerships, as more than double the proportion of customers surveyed reported receiving their vehicle at home.

“The hefty growth rate of vehicle sales in the Philippines must not deter manufacturers from providing a delightful sales experience to their customers,” said Arora. “In a market where a large majority of customers rely on traditional and non-digital sources of information in making a purchase decision—such as the reputation of the brand or recommendations from friends and family—providing a delightful sales experience helps to generate good word of mouth, which may translate into increased business.”

The 2011 Philippines SSI Study is based on responses from more than 1,463 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between August 2010 and February 2011. The study was fielded from February to May 2011.

KON

Charts: Official J.D. Power release.

See also:
– J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2010 Malaysia Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study released
– J.D. Power announces sales satisfaction study reports for Thailand & Taiwan

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Lotus Cars Limited has announced the appointment of Australia and New Zealand’s largest independent car importer as its distributors in those two countries. Currently, Lotus has a network of five dealerships in Australia, situated in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Ateco will maintain their Australian presence through those five dealerships whilst expanding its reach to New Zealand with a new outlet in Auckland. Ateco Automotive plans to introduce a number of new initiatives in the coming weeks focused on increasing the awareness of the Lotus brand in both Australia and New Zealand.

Guillaume Chabin, Director of Global Sales and Marketing for Lotus, said, “I would like to welcome Ateco Automotive to the Lotus brand. The company is a highly regarded and experienced importer in Australia and New Zealand, has a very strong infrastructure and the ability to join us in taking our brand forward in this important market as our product line-up evolves. We have been present in Australia for many years and are recognised by many for both our high tech, high performing Lotus cars and our fantastic motorsport heritage. Ateco Automotive joins us at an exciting time with the new Era of Lotus, heralding in a new range of sports cars in the future to complement the current Lotus range and an all encompassing motorsports programme which will return to the Lotus brand to the elevated level that it has enjoyed in the past.”

Glen Sealey, General Manager for Lotus in Australia and New Zealand at Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd, said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to import Lotus cars into Australia and New Zealand. Given our success and experience gained over the years in the retailing and marketing of premium and luxury niche sports car brands, we are well placed to give Lotus the best opportunity to succeed in such discerning markets. The timing could not be better as we will be able to prepare the market place and the dealer group for the arrival of the new range as well as developing the sales and customer support for the existing range. The new Lotus range, topped by the phenomenal high performance supercharged Evora S, are stunning cars and perfectly suited to the Australian and New Zealand markets, where performance, efficiency and stunning looks are so important.”

Ateco Automotive will take control of the importing of Lotus cars immediately, with a seamless transition from the outgoing importer.

KON

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