Weekly wrap-up: 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric & Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ launch, Ora Good Cat first batch arrives, and much more

The third week of December was nothing less but exciting for the Malaysian auto arena. Apart from several noteworthy car launches, the country also received big news on the soon arrival of the Volvo EX90. The national automaker Perodua performed several Corporate Social Responsibility acts including donating RM 151k to hospitals and sending aid to its Sri Lanka distributor. As for the international automotive market, there were several big announcements including Toyota Motor Thailand turning 60, Lexus testing a manual EV, and much more.

Local news

2022 Honda Civic e:HEV RS delivered to the first owner

Honda Malaysia on Dec 16 delivered its first Civic e:HEV RS hybrid car to Chin Kok Fung at MH Prestige Auto’s showroom, Bandar Sri Damansara. Besides receiving the keys to its new hybrid, Chin also got a RM 4,000 worth voucher for Honda accessories and official merchandise.

To date, Honda Malaysia has delivered more than 180 units of the Civic hybrid, a car that was launched just last month and sits on top of the model’s lineup.

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric launch

Volvo Car Malaysia launched the second electric vehicle in the local market, the C40 Recharge Pure Electric. Joining the ongoing XC40 Recharge, the C40 retails for RM 288,888 (on-the-road without insurance) and is RM 10,000 dearer than the former. Powering the new Volvo EV is an all-wheel drive electric powertrain consisting of a 78 kWh lithium-ion battery fueling a pair of e-motors (one on each axle). Together the setup pumps out a maximum power of 408 PS and a peak torque of 660 Nm.

2022 Ora Good Cat’s first batch arrives

It was only recently that Ora Good Cat was introduced in Malaysia. The EV is launched in two variants - 400 Pro and 500 Ultra, priced at RM 139,800 and RM 169,800 respectively. For those booked, the Chinese EV has a reason to be happy this past week as the first batch of the car arrived in the country. Each Ora Good Cat customer along with the car’s key will receive a complimentary portable charger and home charger along with five free maintenance services.

Volvo EX90 coming soon

At the launch of the all-new C40 Recharge Pure Electric, Volvo Car Malaysia made it clear that it won’t be slowing down in its electrification efforts and aims for the Recharge Pure Electric models to make up to 75% of its total sales by 2025. At the launch event, the automaker teased the EX90, indicating it to be the next EV in the lineup. The upcoming seven-seater EV made its global debut just last month and is an all-electric equivalent of the XC90.

Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ launch

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia recently added a new model to its electric car lineup, the EQE. The EV is offered in the local market in a single variant option called the EQE350+. The said model retails for RM 419,888 (on-the-road without insurance) and is powered by a single electric motor generating a maximum power of 292 hp and 565 Nm of torque. On the performance front, the EV goes from 0 to 100 kmph in just 6.4 seconds and attains a top speed of 210 km. Its 90.56 kWh battery capacity offers a usable range of up to 669 km.

10k EV registered in Malaysia

JPJ director-general, Datuk Zailani Hj Hashim, this past week announced that more than 10,000 electric vehicles have been registered in the country right now. The said figure showcases a significant leap of over 274 units sold in Malaysia last year.

CKD models of Mercedes EVs coming soon

At the launch of the all-new Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+, the automaker’s president and CEO Sagree Sardien confirmed that it’ll soon begin the local assembly of EQ models. The automaker neither revealed the model that will be assembled locally nor when the CKD EQ EV will surface.

Perodua donates RM 151k toward two hospitals

Continuing its act of philanthropy, Perodua recently donated medical goods and equipment worth RM 151,000 to two hospitals. The act was part of the national carmaker’s
ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility initiative and will enhance the country's public healthcare system.

Perodua sends aid to its Sri Lankan distributor

Amidst the ongoing financial crises in the island country of Sri Lanka. How? Perodua has sent aid to its non-national distributor’s staff, Unimo Enterprise Limited. The aid comes in the form of gifted vouchers that the 171 Unimo employees can use to get daily essentials.

International news

Special edition Ducati Panigale V4Rs

Ducati celebrated the double championship win in World Superbike Championship and MotoGP by introducing two special editions Ducati Panigale V4Rs. The concerned bikes are dressed in Ducati Corse teams racing livery in respective championships. Each series was limited to 260 units only, honoring the company’s founding year, 1926.

Toyota Motor Thailand turns 60

In Thailand, Toyota Motor has completed 60 years of existence. Established in the country in 1962 and since then Toyota Motor Thailand (TMT) has manufactured over 12 million units, with one Toyota built in the country every 20 seconds. At the company’s 60th anniversary ceremony, the automaker introduced the IMV 0 Concept and Hilux Revo BEV concept.

2023 Honda Breeze debus in China

GAC Honda recently published the first official images of the second-gen Honda Breeze, with the SUV scheduled to go on sale in the country before the year's end. With the price starting from 185,900 yuan (approximately RM 117,679), the new Breeze is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo engine generating a maximum power of 193 PS along with a peak torque of 243 Nm. The drive is sent to the wheels (front- or all-wheel drive option) via a CVT unit.

2023 Ford Mustang engine details revealed

Ford has finally revealed the powertrain details of the all-new 2024 Mustang, the car was unveiled several months ago entering its 7th generation. Mustang's most track-focused variant, the Dark Horse, is powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 petrol engine generating 507 PS and 567 Nm of torque. The Mustang GT gets the Coyote engine with an active-valve performance exhaust system delivering 493 PS and 567 Nm. The base trim, on the other hand, uses a redeveloped EcoBoost engine with a new bore-to-stroke ratio, port, and direct fuel injection, integrated exhaust gas recirculation, variable cam timing, and a twin-scroll turbocharger.

2024 Mazda CX-90 teased

Mazda is scheduled to launch the all-new CX-90 next year in January 2023 and recently released a second teaser. Once launched, the CX-90 will join the automaker’s Large Product group that in the future will also include the CX-70 and CX-80. The car is said to be powered by an inline-six engine and built on Mazda’s Skyactiv Multi-Solution Architecture with rear-wheel drive and a front-engine longitudinal layout.

Lexus reveals EV with manual gearbox

Lexus recently unveiled that it is underway testing an EV driven by a manual gearbox. The automaker has even released a video showing the electric Lexus being driven by a manual transmission unit. The research prototype is based on the UX 300e, the automaker's first fully-electric car, modified with an RPM meter, clutch pedal, and manual gear lever.

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