Among Southeast Asians, Malaysians are most supportive of China, according to a survey of 1,994 Southeast Asians by Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. When asked if a situation forces them to choose between USA and China, 75.1% of Malaysians answered China – the highest in the region. Is there a correlation between results of a political opinion survey and the rapid rise of Chinese car brands launching in Southeast Asia? The short answer is ‘Yes’. Of course, there are other factors that de

Hans

May 10, 2024

Following the success of the GR series of performance cars, Toyota is rumoured to add one entry sports car as early as 2026. According to a report in the latest issue of Japan’s Best Car magazine, the upcoming sports car could see the revival of a previously frozen project. At the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the S-FR Concept, a small sports car that was inspired by the Toyota Sports 800, the company’s first sports car. Things looked very promising for the potential Mazda MX-5 rival wi

CY Foong

May 10, 2024

Perodua's expansion of its export business now includes Bangladesh, with the Malaysian carmaker inking a partnership with ex-Proton partners PHP Motors. For now, the range includes four models: the Aruz, Axia, Bezza, and Myvi. Managing Director of PHP Motors, Mohammed Akhter Pravez, added that the company will be assembling the models in their Chattogram factory, while working on bringing the full range of Perodua models to Bangladesh. The named models will begin sales there by the end of this m

Sanjay

May 10, 2024

Remember the VW ID.4? Two units were previewed in Malaysia in October 2022, at the VW Fest event. There was no further development (at least not to the public) since, and after several launches by Tesla, BYD, even VW’s sister-brand Audi, the ID.4 was quickly forgotten. A recent post by MITI Minister Tengku Zafrul on his official X account hinted that the VW ID.4 could soon be launched. Zafrul’s post said Volkswagen Group Malaysia’s (VGM) Pekan plant is the first outside of Germany to assemble th

Hans

May 9, 2024

CARSOME Group Inc, reported its first quarterly positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in Q1 2024. The company also marked a notable milestone, surpassing 500,000 cars sold since its establishment in 2015. Last year, the Group sold over 150,000 cars. A substantial factor contributing to CARSOME's profitability is a 48% year-on-year increase in Gross Profit Per Unit (GPU), primarily attributed to improved transaction margins and utilization of AI-driven

Hans

May 9, 2024