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BMW Malaysia today introduced five new variants into its local model lineup, these being three versions of the 3 Series Coupe and a 3 Series Convertible, as well as the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport.

The new 3 Series Coupe lineup consists of the 320i Coupe, 325i Coupe and the top of the line 335i Coupe M Sport, while the 325i Convertible makes for the drop-top entry.

The 306bhp six-cylinder turbocharged 335i Coupe M Sport comes with a 7-speed double clutch sports automatic transmission and comes with a new gear shift logic for the steering-wheel paddles similar to that on the M3.

The M Sports package on this one includes a special Aerodynamics package and 19-inch M light-alloy double spoke 313 wheels riding on a specially tuned sports suspension. Interior-wise, the package adds in sports seats in Dakota leather upholstery, Aluminium Glacier Silver dark interior trim and Anthracite headliner. Further enhancing the car's sporty nature are M entry sills and a M footrest.

Of course, there are optional equipment packages, including an Innovation Package and a Glass Roof Package, for the rest of the range, enabling owners to tailor suit their vehicles to their individual tastes and personal preferences.

Catered specifically for the BMW 320i Coupe, the Innovation Package includes a navigation system and mobile phone preparation. The navigation system offers DVD drive, iDrive Controller with direct menu control buttons, functional bookmarks, integrated hard disk for audio files and navigation data, 3D map display on a high-resolution 8.8-inch monitor, whilst the Mobile Phone preparation offers Bluetooth capability that includes hands free capability. Going the Innovation Package route will set you back a mere RM20,000.

The Glass Roof Package, on the other hand, is available as an option for the 320i Coupe and 325i Coupe. The package includes an electric operated glass roof with slide and tilt function, and goes for RM10,000 .

The new 325i Convertible utilises the same six-cylinder 218bhp 2.5l block found on the 325i Coupe, and shares the same lighting specifications as that on the 335i Coupe M Sport, with light rings with two brightness settings for use as parking lights or daytime running lights, as well as LED indicators.

Meanwhile, the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport rolls in as the top of the line roadster, with 340bhp and 450Nm of torque available from its 3.0l turbo pot. It comes with the 7-speed double-clutch sports automatic transmission, Dynamic Driving Control with Sport and Sport+ settings and Launch Control as standard issue.

Here, the M sports package is made up of a M aerodynamics package, which has modified front and rear aprons and a rear diffuser among other things, as well as the Adaptive M Suspension package. Oxide Silver mirror caps and five-spoke 18 inch alloy wheels round off the exterior trim, and exclusive to the M Sports package on the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport is the option of the special Melbourne Red exterior colour.

The retail prices (on the road, without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive 3 years/60,000km + Repair) are RM289,800 for the 320i Coupe, RM378,800 for the 325i Coupe, RM498,800 for the 335i Coupe M Sport, while the 325i Convertible goes for RM439,800, and the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport is priced at RM598,800.

Posted by: Anthony Lim

US automakers have surpassed foreign brands for the first time in a survey that measures the quality of new cars and trucks.

J.D. Power and Associates said yesterday that owners of vehicles made by Detroit automakers reported fewer problems on average during the first 90 days of ownership than those built by companies based overseas.

It was the first time that has happened in the 24 years the industry research group has conducted the annual quality study that is a closely watched measure of the durability and reliability of vehicles.

US automakers have long lagged foreign brands, especially those from Asian manufacturers like Toyota, which many consumers believe produce higher quality cars and trucks than General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

But J.D. Power said Ford showed some of the biggest gains in quality among individual brands, moving into the fifth spot. Porsche was the top scorer. Toyota, which has suffered through huge safety recalls earlier this year, saw its score drop.

The study ranks vehicles according to the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles. The overall average for the industry was 109 problems per 100 vehicles. That industry average has fallen steadily over the past decade.

US manufacturers scored an average of 108 problems, while foreign companies posted 109 problems. That is a marked difference than just 10 years ago, when import brands had far fewer initial problems than those made by US companies.

Luxury brands topped the list, with Acura and Mercedes-Benz holding the second and third spots. Daimler, which makes the Mercedes-Benz, had the best performing plant, an assembly facility in East London, South Africa.

Land Rover had the highest overall number of average problems with 170.

Ford was the best scorer among non-luxury brands, with 93 problems per 100 vehicles. J.D. Power said that Ford has shown steady improvement over the last nine years.

The rankings are closely watched by automakers, which frequently use them in advertising campaigns. Ford vice president of quality Bennie Fowler said in a statement that the survey shows Ford's "steady and meticulous attention to new model launches."

Toyota's ranking dropped to the 21st spot, down from the sixth ranking in 2009. The Japanese automaker has built a strong reputation for vehicle quality, but has seen its image suffer after wide reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.

"Overall, we're disappointed but probably not surprised," said Jim Lentz, Toyota's top US sales executive. "If you look at when the survey was fielded, it was right during the height of the recall and the intense coverage of the recall."

He said vehicles not involved in recall saw their scores go up in the study. He also noted that Toyota had six segment award winners, more than any other manufacturer.

"We are paying close attention to what the customer is telling us through J.D. Power," he said. - AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Toyota, the latest automaker to be hit by a strike at a China parts supplier, said yesterday its car assembly operations were not affected by the short-lived dispute.

The strike comes amid mounting concern over signs of increasing unrest among the migrant workers who are the backbone of the country's industrial sector.

Niu Yu, spokesman for Toyota China in Beijing, said the strike at affiliate Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd's plant in the northeastern city of Tianjin, had ended.

"So far, operations of our car assembly plant have not been affected," Niu said.

Toyoda Gosei spokesman Tomotaka Ito said the strike at the plant, Tianjin Star Light Rubber and Plastic Co, began Tues and ended Wed after the company agreed to review the pay structure for its 800 workers.

Production resumed Wed afternoon, despite a national holiday, to make up for lost time, said Ito, who would give no further details.

The strike was the first reported for Toyota following strikes at several China suppliers of Honda that forced that Japanese automaker to suspend car assembly intermittently in the past month due to a lack of parts.

So far, most of the auto-related labour disputes have been reported in southern China, near Guangzhou, where both Honda and Toyota have manufacturing bases along with their local partner Guangzhou Auto Group. Toyota has a separate joint venture in Tianjin with FAW Group.

Although Beijing has so far said little about specific labour disputes, earlier this week Premier Wen Jiabao signaled the leadership's concern, urging better treatment for the country's legions of young migrant workers.

"Migrant workers should be cared for, protected and respected, especially the younger generation," the official Communist Party paper, People's Daily, cited Wen as telling a group of migrant workers in Beijing.

In a commentary Thurs, the newspaper said China's economic model is facing a "turning point."

"Raising workers' income levels and adjusting the gap between rich and poor is not just an emergency response to protect stability," said the author Tang Jun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government think tank.

A labour law that went into effect in 2008 has accelerated an upsurge in workers' awareness of their rights. Meanwhile, there has been a generation shift between older migrant workers, who grew up in poverty and usually were the first in their families to seek non-farm work, and their children, who have higher expectations and less tolerance for low wages and harsh conditions. - AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Scandinavian electric vehicle maker Think has begun the introduction of a new, ground-breaking lithium-ion battery system for its City EV production.

The dedicated 22kWh battery system for the City is from Ener1 subsidiary, EnerDel. The company says key features include a smaller, lighter weight and better packaged unit, offering much greater available power and energy density than other technologies.

Fast-charging is also a possibility with the EnerDel batteries, with early tests done by Think and Ener1 getting the battery charged up to 80% of its capacity in just 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Think, in partnership with EnerDel, is moving along with the application expansion of its proprietary integrated electric drive-train; the system is currently being tested in Asia by the Japan Postal Service, and by Mazda as part of a Itochu Corporation-led sustainability project in Tsukuba, Japan.

Posted by: Anthony Lim

General Motors yesterday abandoned a months-long effort to win European government aid for restructuring its Opel and Vauxhall operations, saying that it needed to move ahead and would fund the overhaul itself.

A week after Germany rejected its request, GM said it was withdrawing applications for loan guarantees totaling euro 1.8bil (US$2.2bil) from several European countries. The automaker said its own improved finances were a factor in the decision.

That will leave GM, which is majority-owned by the US government, to shoulder the total funding needs of euro 3.3bil rather than the euro 1.9bil it had previously committed. The US government owns about 61% of GM, while the Canadian governments own roughly 12%. GM hopes to repay all government aid with a public stock offering, perhaps later this year.

GM's move ends lengthy manoeuvring over the future of Opel and Vauxhall, and represents a sharp turnaround from last year, when GM nearly sold a majority stake in its European operations and went through bankruptcy reorganisation in the US. It subsequently decided to hold onto its European business while seek government support.

Opel and Vauxhall CEO Nick Reilly noted that GM initiated the aid applications more than six months ago and said "we had no idea that it would take this long."

"In that period of time the GM financial position has improved somewhat and the outlook is positive," he said - helping make Wed's decision possible.

Britain's government committed loan guarantees to the tune of euro 330mil and Spain had indicated that it would commit a similar amount. Reilly said there had been "no withdrawal of support" by either country, but GM made its decision after considering the fallout from Berlin's rejection.

Last Nov, GM abruptly canceled the planned sale of a majority in the units to a consortium led by Canadian auto parts maker Magna International, instead deciding to restructure the brands itself.

That decision irked Germany, which had pushed hard for the sale and had been prepared to offer financial support for it.

GM then sought aid from European governments as it presented a restructuring plan that foresees some 8,300 job cuts across the continent. Reilly said "there is no intention to change the restructuring plan." The two brands employ around 48,000 people in Europe, roughly half of them in Germany.
- AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Volkswagen raised its sales and operating profit forecast for 2010 on Wed, saying that its performance in the first five months exceeded expectations.

The company said it now expects the 2009 figures "will be significantly exceeded" but didn't offer more specific guidance. It had previously forecast only that the 2010 figures would be above last year's.

VW sold 6.3mil vehicles and had an operating profit of euro 1.9bil last year.

Unit sales and operating profit across the group - which also includes brands such as Audi, Skoda and Seat - "have considerably outperformed expectations in the first five months" of 2010, Volkswagen said.

It said it has been helped by strong demand in key markets such as western Europe, China and North America. Exchange rate effects "had a positive impact on profit," it added.

Volkswagen cautioned that the outlook for the second half "still entails uncertainties" - pointing to fierce competition and a difficult overall environment. - AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Electric car maker Tesla Motors expects to raise US$185mil from its highly anticipated initial public offering of stock beginning the week of June 28 and an investment from Toyota Motors Corp, which will buy an additional US$50mil in Tesla stock immediately after the close of Tesla's public offering.

The Palo Alto, California company currently sells just the Roadster, a high-end car powered by lithium-ion batteries with a design based on the Lotus Elise two-seater sports car. It has sold just 1,063 Roadsters since 2008 and has lost US$290.2mil since the company was founded in 2003.

However, the company plans to start selling a mass-market luxury sedan starting in 2012 that is expected to cost US$49,900 after a US$7,500 federal tax credit. The company has said it expects continuing quarterly losses until the sedan, the Model S, hits the market. Tesla said it has already taken 2,200 reservations for the five-passenger sedan.

As part of the partnership with Toyota, Tesla will pay the Japanese automaker US$42mil for the shuttered New United Motor Manufacturing Inc auto plant in Fremont, California. The plant is a former joint venture between Toyota and General Motors, but GM withdrew from the joint venture when it filed for bankruptcy protection last year, leaving Toyota saddled with the idled facility.

Tesla said it plans to use the sprawling, 207-acre facility - most recently used to build the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Corolla and Tacoma - to build the Model S. In addition, the two companies have loose plans to work together later on another electric car.

After the release of the Model S, Tesla plans to continue expanding its lineup of electric cars with increasingly cheaper models. - AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Most workers striking to demand higher wages returned to their jobs at a Honda plant in southern China after walking off the production line last week, Honda officials said yesterday.

Koji Matsuyama, an official at Honda Lock's headquarters in Miyazaki, Japan, said the strike ended on Sat, and almost all workers returned to work on Mon. The company was still not operating at full capacity, he said.

The strike at Honda Lock (Guangdong) Co comes amid an upsurge in industrial actions by migrant workers frustrated over relatively low pay, harsh working conditions and surging living costs.

Matsuyama refused to comment on news that the factory was hiring new workers to replace those who refused to return to work.

However, an official who identified herself as a human resources manager at the plant in Zhongshan, just outside the southern city of Guangzhou, said that the company was hiring new workers to replace those who had not come back.

The workers who gave up the strike agreed to accept a wage raise of 200 yuan (about US$30) to 1,139 yuan (US$170), said the manager, who refused to give her name. The workers had been seeking raises of 1,700 yuan-2040 yuan (US$250-US$300), and rejected an earlier offer of 100 yuan (US$15), the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Honda officials in Tokyo referred inquiries to Honda Lock. About 85% of plant's 1,400 workers had joined the action, forcing a halt to operations.

The strike last week came as Honda resumed production at two other car assembly plants after resolving a three-day strike at parts supplier Foshan Fengfu Autoparts Co.

Honda said the Foshan factory employees agreed to a pay raise of 366 yuan (US$53) per month for each full-time worker. That increases the pay for a new employee to 1,910 yuan (US$280) per month.

Workers largely had accepted slower wage growth during the recent economic slowdown, but as the economy has rebounded and prices rise, they are working longer hours with no appreciable improvement in income, prompting some to take action.

Fearing challenges to their hold on power, China's communist leaders ban unauthorised labour organisations and public dissent. Those who violate those bans face harassment and prosecution.

But authorities have long tolerated limited, local protests by workers unhappy over wages or other issues, perhaps recognising the need for an outlet for such frustrations. - AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Volkswagen has chosen a new ground for the market launch of its new Polo GTI. The car is the first vehicle to be presented to customers in Europe exclusively via social network Facebook.

The exclusively digital campaign, titled Fast Lane – Driven by Fun, is aimed at inspiring young drivers for the car, as well as engaging them.

Three videos, where the vehicle isn't immediately in evidence, have been produced for the start of the Facebook profile, which is at www.facebook.com/volkswagen.

These clips depict scenes that add an unusual touch to everyday life, such as a giant slide at subway steps, a particularly agile supermarket cart or an elevator that sounds like a rocket about to take off, and are meant to convey the thrill of speed without encouraging fast driving.

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Volvo Car Malaysia has begun a service campaign aimed at offering all Volvo owners some very Swede deals as well a host of rewards this June and July.

From today to July 31, Volvo owners bringing in their cars for service and/or repairs at the nearest Volvo authorised service centres will get a Volvo inspection, brake check, engine cooling system inspection for free, as well as free brake fluid if you replace both brake pads and discs, and there are discounts of up to 25% on selected parts and accessories.

That's not all - Volvo owners also stand a chance to win prizes when they service/repair their vehicles during the promotion period. All you need to do is answer three simple questions, complete a slogan, attach the contest form to a single repair/service invoice (for any amount) and you're in the running.

The grand prize is a RM10,000 voucher, while second and third prizes are RM7,000 and RM5,000 vouchers respectively, all redeemable for Volvo parts and accessories, ceetainly very handy to have.

The Volvo service centres are open Mon-Fri from 8.30am-5.30pm and from 8.30am-12.30pm on Sat. For more info, contact Federal Auto Cars at 03-2274 9300, Swedish Marque at 1-800-882-222 or Angkatan Hebat (Kota Kinabalu) at 088-485 544. Alternately, visit www.volvocars.com.my.