Weekly wrap-up: The Country’s first adventure-touring motorcycle launched, 5 new Suzuki dealerships coming soon, the 2025 Lexus IS F Sport Mode Black IV special edition in Japan, and more

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the end of January 2025 and so much happened during these 31 days in the local and international automotive industry. For instance, in this past week alone the national motorcycle maker, Aveta, introduced the country’s first adventure-touring motorcycle, the Vanguard, Suzuki announced the opening of five new dealerships, Mercedes-Benz announced its Chinese New Year Open House promotion, and so much more. The international market is not far behind with Indonesia getting the all-new 2025 Mazda CX-80 and Japan, the 2025 Lexus IS F Sport Mode Black IV special edition.

Wait, that’s not it. It was just a glimpse into the exciting past week. Read further and find all that happened during the last seven days in the automotive market.

Malaysia automotive market: Key updates

Mercedes-Benz Chinese New Year promotion

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia this weekend will be holding the Chinese New Year Open House promotion from Feb 1 and 2,2025. The said promo event will take place at three locations - the Cycle & Carriage showroom in Ipoh, the East Coast Mall in Kuantan, and Eco Galleria at Eco Botanic in Johor Bahru. Don’t worry about the timing as the promotion will begin at 11 am and end at 7 pm.

Part of the promotion is limited-time offers and personalized financial plans including - lower monthly repayments with Agility Financing, up to RM190,000 in My Mercedes Rewards, and financing options at interest rates starting from 0%.

Proton eMas 7 bookings to touch the 4k mark soon

At the end of last year, i.e., on Dec 16, Proton launched its first-ever EV in Malaysia., the eMas 7, however, none of its units are seen on the road. Last week first batch of the EV was delivered, these were the customers who booked their orders in October 2024. At present, the EV has close to 4000 bookings out of which the majority are for the range-topping Premium model.

Also Read: First Impressions: Proton eMAS 7 Prime – Real world test drive to Melaka

Suzuki confirms the opening of new outlets

Naza Eastern Motors, the authorized distributor of Suzuki cars in Malaysia will be opening as many as five new brand outlets in the country this year. Where? Part of the shortlisted outlet locations are - Labuan, Kuching, Klang, Langkawi, and Muar.

Aveta Vanguard 250 launched

Aveta, the national motorcycle maker has launched the all-new Vanguard 250. Tagged as Malaysia’s first Adventure-Touring Crossover scooter, it is offered in two trim options - Standard for RM 14,488 and SE for RM 16,388. It is powered by a 244.2 cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder unit making a maximum power output of 24.8 hp and a peak torque of 22.5 Nm. The company is offering a two-year or 20,000 km warranty against manufacturing defects.

Chery Malaysia honors the country’s Paralympians

In a recently hosted event, Chery Malaysia honored the country’s Paralympians wherein their contribution and achievements in sports were celebrated. Held at its Glenmarie, Selangor showroom, the event was also marked as the delivery day of Chery cars to the Paralympians who took advantage of the brand’s exclusive discount program.

International automotive market: Key updates

2025 by Harley-Davidson refreshed line-up 

Harley-Davidson has introduced a refreshed line-up for 2025. Part of the lineup are the following models - the Cruiser range, Street Glide Ultra, Sportster S, Pan America 1250 ST, and updated CVO bikes. These models benefit from modern design, advanced technology, and improved performance.

2025 BMW iX facelift introduced

The BMW iX has received a major overhaul in the international market. The facelift primarily focuses on the car’s technical front and not so much on the design. Further, the automaker has rebranded the variants, they are now called xDrive 45 and xDrive 60. Other notable revisions include -

• More powerful dual-motor all-wheel drive setups and new battery packs across the lineup
• Upgraded charging capabilities
• Better driving dynamics thanks to the new active rear-wheel steering system
• Fine-tuned ride-control system for improved driving comfort
• Minimal cosmetic changes like a revamped grille, new adaptive
• LED headlights with vertical elements, M Sport package
• Updated iDrive 8.5 infotainment software and a new M Sport pack

2025 Mazda CX-80 launched in Indonesia

The official distributor of Mazda cars in Indonesia, PT Eurokars Motor Indonesia (EMI), introduced the all-new CX-80 SUV in the country. Offered at a starting price of IDR 1,199,900,000 (approx. RM 326k), it is part of the brand’s new ‘Large Product Group’ SUVs. It rivals the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5, and Hyundai Santa Fe.

JLR to invest millions in expanding paint service

Jaguar Land Rover will spend close to £65 million (approx RM354 million) expanding its paint service in the UK and Slovakia to meet the demands of its high-end customers. The new facilities will be opened in Castle Bromwich, UK, and Nitra, Slovakia, and they will double the capacity of JLR’s SV Bespoke Paint matching service.

Images of the 2025 Toyota RAV4 leaked

A new Toyota RAV4 is long overdue, it's been seven years since the introduction of the 5th model, making everyone desperate for change. And guess what recently leaked images of the next-gen RAV4 made their way onto Weibo. Here’s what you can expect from the new model as per the leaked images -

• Toyota’s latest “Hammerhead” design language
• C-shaped headlights
• Body-colored honeycomb grille
• Distinctive raised bonnet edges
• Squared-off wheel arches
• Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA-K)
• New tech, including larger screens and an advanced voice control feature
• Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver assists

Indian Motorcycle announces new, powerful engine

Dedicated to its bagger and touring motorcycles, Indian Motorcycle has announced a new V-twin engine. Called the PowerPlus 112, this one will produce a maximum power of 126 hp along with a peak torque of 181.4 Nm. The new mill features in the Roadmaster PowerPlus and Chieftain PowerPlus. As per Indian, the new engine features liquid cooling, overhead cams, and four valves per cylinder making it possible to deliver more output throughout the rev range.

A new PHEV variant for smart #5

Recent spy images by Autocar suggest that a hybrid variant of the smart #5 could be in work! In the images the smart #5 appears to incorporate what seems like a regular engine, thus hunting on the soon introduction of a hybrid powertrain. Though nothing is confirmed at the moment, the #5 hybrid variant is expected to feature a 1.5L turbocharged plug-in hybrid system by the Geely Group.

Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept unveiled

Audi has unveiled its new concept called the Q6 e-tron offroad concept which is developed as a prototype aimed to offer greater off-road capability. Some key points of the concept include -

• A dual-motor setup offering a maximum power of 517 PS along with a peak torque of 13,400 Nm
• ‘Adequate’ top seep of 175 kmph
• 160 mm increase in ride height and 250 mm increase in wheel track widths compared to the Q6 e-tron electric SUV

Japan gets 2025 Lexus IS F Sport Mode Black IV special edition

Lexus has introduced a new special edition for its IS model. Called the F Sport Mode Black IV, it is offered with two trims - the IS 300 and IS 300H, priced at 5.9 million and 6.35 million, respectively. Here are the key features of the special edition model -

• Forged alloy wheels by BBS
• Black alloy wheels, side mirrors, and window surrounds
• Ashwood inserts on the door cards and steering wheel
• Genuine leather on the steering and gear knob
• Ultrasuede upholstery for the heated and ventilated sports seats
• Eight-inch digital instrument cluster with a new welcome display
• Rear side airbags and a panoramic view monitor as standard.

No new VW EV for a year

As per a report by Bloomberg, Volkswagen will not introduce any new electric vehicles for another year. Why? Due to the release of new EVs, its key products are being pushed back. However, it isn’t an easy decision, as the automaker is already struggling to compete with automakers like BYD in China.

Also Read: How safe is the upcoming Chinese EV, the Deepal S07

2025 BMW M3 CS Touring makes debut

BMW has rolled out the CS version of its M3 Touring high-performance wagon. Deliveries for this limited-run model are scheduled to begin in March 2025 with key markets in focus being - South Korea, Europe, Japan, Australia, and a few other countries.

Key details about the release -

• A 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six petrol engine powers the limited edition VW, the mill pumps out 550 PS and 650 Nm of torque.
• The car goes from zero to 100 kmph in just 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 300 kmph
• It benefits from an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission (with Drivelogic), M xDrive all-wheel drive system, and rear Active M Differential
• Infotainment powered by BMW Operating System 8.5 with features like M Drive Professional system with M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer
• M Carbon buckets seats, CFRP shift paddles, Merino leather

That's a wrap for now. For all the latest updates on the automotive industry, stay tuned with us.

Also Read: How safe is the upcoming Chinese EV, the Deepal S07