New Proton Saga BLM

DaimlerChrysler Malaysia is now Mercedes-Benz Malaysia

January 02, 2008 12:10 PM Author: Chips

DaimlerChrysler Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, has changed its name to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. The change of name, which takes effect from today, is in line with a global name change from DaimlerChrysler to Daimler AG which followed the departure of Chrysler from the group last year.

Depending on the market, some subsidiaries like the one in Malaysia will use the Mercedes-Benz name as the prestige brand is the key area of business activity. In other markets and in Germany, Daimler AG is used to better reflect the broad nature of the group’s business.
“The new name reflects our company’s key business activity, which comes from the main contributor, Mercedes-Benz. With the name change, our operation and business model will remain status quo. In addition, we believe that our new name will further enhance all our future marketing and communication efforts,” said Peter Honegg, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.

“On another note, our focus on Mitsubishi Fuso will continue to be strong and we look forward to its future expansion. Meanwhile, under the new name as well as the new Mercedes-Benz logo, we will continue to honour our brand’s long and prestigious tradition,” added Mr. Honegg.
Additionally, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia will continue to be involved in the distribution and marketing activities of other brands in the group such as smart.

For more information on the name change, the public can call the Corporate Communications Department at 03-2246 8881 / 8971 or the Customer Care Centre at 1-800-88-1133.

Meanwhile, Si Khiong Star, one of the authorised Mercedes-Benz dealers in Malaysia, has announced that it has been renamed Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad via Hap Seng Auto Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Si Khiong Industries Sdn Bhd).

Hap Seng Star has a Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in Kuala Lumpur’s ‘Golden Triangle’ along Jalan Sultan Ismail and a fully-equipped service centre in Bandar Kinrara on the outskirts of the city. The facility includes a Pre-Owned Cars Centre where customers can choose from a selection of pre-owned Mercedes-Benz models. All the units are thoroughly inspected and refreshed prior to being put on sale.

Source : MotorTrader Malaysia

Suzuki SX4

The cross-over concept is a fairly recent one, having appeared during this decade. It’s essentially an ‘evolution’ of the SUV bodystyle, merging the best features of the SUV with the MPV and stationwagon – while offering a comfortable ride and sedan-like handling. The emergence of this new genre of bodystyles was probably in response to changing lifestyles where outdoor activities are more common and therefore there has been a need for a versatile vehicle. The traditional bodystyles like the stationwagon and MPV are, well, traditional and to appeal to the new generation of consumers, a ‘cross-over’ has been created.

The Suzuki SX4 is such a vehicle and takes the best of Suzuki’s DNA from its compact cars like the Swift and mixes it with the small SUV heritage that the company is also known for. An Italian studio was brought in to collaborate on the styling which was important since the SX4 is a major model for Suzuki in Europe to the extent that they are even building it there (in Hungary).

For the SX4, a new platform was developed and this is an evolution of the one used for the Swift. The suspension – comprising MacPherson struts in front and a rear torsion beam – was thoroughly tested in Europe to give the SX4 handling dynamics that European drivers would like. Thus it is said to offer crisp and responsive handling without compromising comfort. Incidentally, the SX4 is the model which Suzuki will use to compete in the World Rally Championship starting with the 2008 season.

As can be seen, the SX4 sits up high 175 mm off the ground, allowing it to travel over rough terrain without scraping its underside. Large 16-inch wheels contribute to the generous ground clearance and the tracks are also wide for stability, important as the vehicle is on the tall side.

The SX4 is available with 2WD and 4WD drivetrains but for now, Suzuki Malaysia Automobile (SMA) is importing only the 2WD variant from Japan in CBU form. According to SMA CEO Bastamam Hamzah, demand for the SX4 is great and Suzuki Japan is not ready to offer the 4WD variant in Malaysia. “It is being looked at and when the time is right and more importantly, production can be allocated for Malaysia, then we will of course add it to the line-up,” he said.

The front wheels get 102 bhp/140 Nm from the 1.6-litre 16-valve petrol engine via a 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine, which is a milder version of that used in the Swift Sport, is a long-stroker so torque should be stronger and with variable valve timing on the intake side, there is no compromise on either end of the rev range.

The cabin of the SX4 bears the hallmarks of Suzuki cars and there is a certain familiarity in the layout and touchpoints of the dashboard. Clean and functional would best describe the dashboard which includes a tripcomputer (to tell the fuel consumption) tucked into a recess in the centre section. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has control switches to operate the audio system which is MP3/WMA compatible.

The 2500 mm wheelbase and 1755 mm wide body promises spacious and comfortable accommodation for five. Depending on what has to be carried, the rear backrests which are divided in a 60:40 ratio can be folded down, extending the cargo floor area and increase cargo volume. According to the German VDA method of measurement, the cargo volume can go up to 1045 litres, 3.8 times the volume available when both backrests are up.

As for safety, Suzuki has made sure it’s as safe as possible and apart from the strong, rigid body, there is also ABS + EBD and Brake Assist. Two airbags are standard for the front and needless to say, all five occupants have seatbelts.

For a CBU import from Japan, the asking price of RM89,973 (RM94,377 with glass tinting and leather upholstery) is attractive and should draw some people away from recent new models in the same price range. However, SMA is not aiming for big numbers yet and expects to sell 50 units a month.

Encik Bastamam said that local assembly is also being studied and SMA’s parent company, DRB-HICOM is certainly keen to see more models assembled at its Pekan, Pahang, plant which has advanced manufacturing equipment and is so far only doing the Swift. However, it is possible that the 5-door SX4 might not be the one assembled as there is also a 4-door sedan variant and Malaysia being a sedan market, it would make more sense to assemble that variant.

2007 Nismo Festival