Editor’s Note: May 2023 – Post-Raya Overdrive

Greetings readers!

I write this whilst getting some deserved R&R after what seemed like a rather long and busy Ramadhan, followed by a very brief but packed Hari Raya Aidil Fitri break. As the month of May unfolds, there’s plenty to note already even before we cross the halfway point of the year.

Were you amongst the 190,000 or so visitors that attended the Malaysia Autoshow 2023 organised by MARii?

The Malaysia Autoshow 2023 kept us busy almost immediately upon returning from our Hari Raya Aidil Fitri holidays. This was perhaps the first major motor show to take place in the country in post-pandemic times and, given the numbers touted by organisers MARii, it’s safe to call the show a success.

The CariCarz.com Editorial Team had barely enough time to breathe when we got confirmation of our brand’s status as a digital partner to the show. This ought to explain the tireless efforts of the team in bringing you all the key launch reports, as well as the detailed visitor’s guide.

The new Mercedes-AMG GT63S E-Performance super-PHEV launched at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023.

Amongst the many new launches held, I personally found myself gravitating towards the new Mercedes-AMG GT63S E-Performance. There’s just something about the German performance marque’s V8 sportscars that I can’t explain, more so when boosted with F1-derived hybrid electric tech.

EVs like the new BMW iX1 and Neta V were key energisers of the Malaysia Autoshow 2023.

Speaking of electrification, that is perhaps the key energiser to the show which saw plenty of products and related tech launched and showcase. In fact, organisers MARii touts that, of the 2,200 vehicles booked during the show, 41% of which were for EVs.

You can read the stats and figures of the show released by MARii in my reporting by clicking these blue words. Clearly, the figures disclosed were highly encouraging, so let’s hope we see more from the show and organisers MARii in the coming years.

Tested this month in our hands were the Toyota Veloz, as well as the Volvo C40 Recharge and
XC40 Recharge twins.

Our Raya break this month saw us tasked with road-testing a few cars as well. My colleague Mukhlis had the Toyota Veloz, and you can read about his account using said DNGA-based MPV for his annual balik kampung trip to Kota Bharu, Kelantan by clicking here.

Besides that, we also had both the Volvo C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge models on test during the Raya break too. Despite being rather similar, there were several differences that made each stand a little more unique. I will recount by take of both very soon, so look out for that.

New GWM Haval H6 HEV previewed to press members recently.

This month also saw us sampling perhaps one of the most exciting new Chinese-made SUVs that’s set to enter our market soon, by which I mean the GWM Haval H6 HEV. This petrol-electric hybrid C-segment SUV has got quite the chops and, provided it is priced right, could give key rivals something to sweat about.

Proton's new X90 officially launched this month too under the auspices of sitting PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

On the subject of SUVs, national carmaker Proton finally introduced its new D-segment 6/7-seat X90 offering under the auspices of sitting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. I must admit, the price touted by the national marque for its largest, priciest, and most tech-laden offering yet, stands very tempting.

During its preview, I was assured by Proton Deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah that the firm has readied its network work in terms of parts and after-sales efforts for the new model. Clearly, they’ve learned their lessons from both the X70 and X50, so you can expect quicker parts delivery and service turnaround times.

Both UMW Toyota and Perodua have reassured that both the Axia and Vios for Malaysia remains safe.

Over at Perodua, it seems they’ve got a few niggles of their own to sort out too, key amongst which being the leaking oil filters in the bulk of its current-gen models. Again, I’ve been reassured by the firm that the situation has been rectified via warranty claims. If you affected, you’d best arrange an appointment soon.

Of course, we can’t talk about Perodua without addressing another recent issue it is involved with, albeit through no fault of theirs. Fortunately, said situation has been addressed too, and both Perodua and Toyota assures that both the DNGA-based Axia and new Vios remains safe for Malaysia.

Organisers MARii did well with the Malaysia Autoshow 2023, which is expected to grow bigger in future editions.

Yes, plenty of things have developed since our last Editor’s Note, and that’s pretty much sums up how our May is going so far. Looking ahead, we’re already planning a few things for June in terms of content, so stay tuned and check out what we will churn out then.

In the meantime, I hope what we’ve delivered thus far will keep you both informed and entertained. As always, we are open to feedback and comments, so please share your thoughts via the comments section both here and on our social media channels – Facebook especially – on how we can better our content.

Until the next Editor’s Note, please enjoy all our content and, as always, please stay safe on the roads.

Sincerely,

Thoriq Azmi

Senior Editor, CariCarz.com

E: thoriq@caricarz.com