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Owning a car that’s both practical for family life and thrilling for spirited Sunday drives feels like chasing an oxymoron. Cars, much like life, often demand compromises. Your once sleek two-door coupé might have been already traded for an SUV, just as your Puma racing shoes have likely been replaced with cushy New Balance trainers for weekend grocery runs. But every now and then, a car comes along that almost convinces you it can truly be the best of all worlds. Surprisingly, it’s not some fir

Building a brand is like growing a tree—strong and valuable ones require more than a decade of patience to grow. In the automotive world, brand equity is a powerful currency that buys trust. For newcomers like Leapmotor, the challenge is huge: how does the little-known brand earn trust in a market saturated by so many “me-too” Chinese electric vehicle brands. Few know that Leapmotor is one of the most successful electric vehicle start-ups in China (BYD is not considered a start-up), often compar

Some products transcend being mere hits; they define an era and set benchmarks so high that even their successors struggle to match them. For example, we remember the iPod Classic but not the iPod Shuffle. Those who grew up with the original Game Boy tend to ignore the Game Boy Micro. In the world of pickup trucks, the Mitsubishi Triton is the poster child for the anti-Hilux camp. It has long been the closest rival to the ultra-dominant Toyota Hilux, which sold 21,782 units last year. At its pea

Offering a good mix of value, performance, and practicality the Proton X50 is one of Malaysia’s most favourite SUVs, and with over 110,000 units sold since its debut in October 2020, there's little argument that it appeals to many buyers. Earlier this year, Proton introduced the X50 RC (RC for Running Change) the model's first major update. However, general expectations were perhaps not met. For many who anticipated a design refresh—and would have thought that—given the camouflaged test units re

The Tesla Model Y has been the benchmark in the RM 200k battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment. However, with increasing competition from brands like BYD, the playing field is shifting. Enter the BYD Sealion 7 Performance, priced at RM 199,800. Essentially an SUV adaptation of the BYD Seal, the Sealion 7 goes head-to-head with the Tesla Model Y. Let’s dive into the details to see how it stacks up. Overview: BYD Sealion 7 Performance Price RM 199,800 Powertrain Dual-motor AWD Battery capacity 82.

The sixth instalment of anything is usually the point where things get a bit too much. That's where Fast and Furious 6 started having a 'Marvel sequel or car movie?' identity meltdown, and I'll belanja you if you remember what the heck went on in Terminator: Dark Fate. Quite simply, this largely happens because they've lost track of what they should do. As it is though, you'll find similar happenings in other industries, and even in our beloved sphere of automobiles, parallels can be drawn to a

We have seen this rivalry coming, but pitting a Chery against a Proton is not new in the 3-row segment. 15 years ago, the rivalry between the Chinese and Malaysian carmakers came to a head in the then-popular MPV segment. The Proton Exora dominated the market with its sheer space, abundant features, and affordable price. Meanwhile, the Chery Eastar presented a larger and more powerful powertrain for just RM 10,000 more than the top-of-the-range Exora. That presented the Eastar as the first succe

If you are in the market for a small 7-seater vehicle, your options are limited. The Proton Exora is no more, and neither is the Honda BR-V. The all-conquering Perodua Alza has crowded out many alternatives. If you take out the Toyota Veloz, which is essentially a Perodua Alza with a different badge, the Mitsubishi Xpander is the segment’s only other option. Despite being locally assembled in Pekan, the Xpander has a starting price of RM 99,000, which is still RM 4,000 more than the Rawang-made

Mercedes-AMG’s 45 series has always been about taking something everyday – be it a hatchback, sedan, or in this case, a crossover – and turning it into something extraordinary. The facelifted Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S is no different. It packs the same stonking performance and sophisticated dynamics we’ve come to expect from Affalterbach, but wrapped in a taller, more practical SUV body. Overview: 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S FL Price RM 539,888 Segment Compact Premium SUV Engine 2.0-litre turbo in-li

Though the Toyota Hilux is the undisputable king of pick-ups in Malaysia, it is not the segment's game changer. While Japanese pick-ups like the Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton, and Isuzu D-Max dominate the market, part of its popularity among buyers is largely thanks to the Ford Ranger. It was the Ranger that helped transform the image of pick-up trucks from commercial workhorses to lifestyle vehicles thanks to memorable slogans, unique special edition models, and an automotive experience that would p