Episodes
It's a Chinese automaker headline overlead this week! Richard, Ali, and Daniel look at Jaecoo copping the Omoda name with the Omoda C9, AI chip maker Leapmotor launching the C10 on Malaysian roads, and ultra-fast charging with Zeekr's upgraded EV batteries that'll charge up vehicles in just 10.5 minutes.   Then, it's time to address the elephant in the room, or rather, the abandoned car in the car park. Daniel unpacks the fast-growing prevalence of luxury cars being left unattended in public...
Published 09/25/24
Published 09/25/24
Getting into gear with automotive headlines, Richard, Ali, and Daniel dive into the fresh facelift of the reliable Mitsubishi XPANDER MPV, get a taste of Mercedes' 2025 GLC350e 4MATIC PHEV and discover the rest of their EV range, and peek at Honda Malaysia's special edition of the Honda City. Then, they ask: What exactly is a mild hybrid engine? Daniel takes us under the hood to reveal why MHEVs might be the practical solution you've been searching for to answer those electric car woes. And...
Published 09/18/24
This week on Cruise Control, Ali, Richard and Daniel are here to talk about recent news in the car world, starting off with Proton’s recent partnership with Geely and the start of CKD operations in Egypt. Then comes the recent news regarding EV number plates - from the new requirements for new EVs’ registration and the introduction of EV plates.  The recent introduction of the BYD SEAL Dynamic variant in Malaysia, which aims to compete with the Tesla Model 3 also pops up as a topic for our...
Published 09/11/24
This week in automotive headlines, it's all about EVs. Ali and Daniel get into the shocking price cuts from Tesla, Chinese battery maker Zhuhai CosMX setting up shop in Kedah, rumours of Chinese automaker Changan about to make a splash in Malaysia, and the debut of the smart #5 and when we can expect to see them on the roads. With EVs still on the brain, they turn to the race towards a more electrified car market as China still seems to come out on top in EV sales ahead of the US and the EU...
Published 09/04/24
Ali and Daniel get your favourite car show rolling this week with some news, with the Proton X70 getting a 2025 facelift already looking at some fierce competition in the form of the MG HS SUV already hitting showrooms. On the EV front, find out how XPENG are taking on the market with the G6, all about the EQS SUV, Mercedes-Benz's luxurious yet powerful seven-seater, and how Chinese automaker Dongfeng is speeding into the Malaysian market with the Box. Then, Daniel calls on the powers to...
Published 08/28/24
The Chinese auto invasion hits Cruise Control this week as Ali, Richard, and Daniel get into the biggest headlines from Chinese automakers. This week, GAC is set to make a mark in the local market with its first CKD factory in Segambut, Chery Omoda 5 earns the Prestigious ASEAN NCAP 5-star rating, and- you heard it here first- the latest EV landing on our shores is the Zeekr X from the premium Chinese automaker. Then, an appeal from Cruise Control: Protect kids in your neighbourhood if you...
Published 08/14/24
Revving things up this week with some big news: Proton's long-awaited first electric vehicle has been announced - tune in to find out what we can expect once it launches. In other local and regional news, Daniel gives the lowdown on the X70, Proton's next big thing, gets into the rumours we've been hearing about a new Citroën SUV that's poised to make waves in the Malaysian market, and speculates why we might not see Audi's impressive new debuts, the A6 and the S6, on our roads. In part two,...
Published 08/07/24
Richard, Ali, and Daniel get into some heavy hitters in local launches and regional headlines this week: Suzuki's exciting, new 5-door 4x4 version of the popular Jimny, the brand new price war-inducing Neta X EV out of Thailand, Kawasaki Motors venturing into hydrogen-powered motorbike engines in Japan and how long it'll be till we see them on our roads, Volvo sticking to producing plug-in hybrids and hybrid engines in a world moving into the EV game, and Indonesia's plan to roll out...
Published 07/31/24
It wouldn't be Cruise Control without some automotive news to rev things up. Daniel fills Richard and Ali in on Porsche's new Taycan-shaped EV, the Macan, and the J7 from Chery sub-brand Jaecoo making their debut on our streets. In regional news, tune in to find out which brand new releases we'll be seeing in Malaysia soon: the K4, Kia's fourth-gen compact sedan, or the ID. UNYX by Volkswagen that made a splash in China this week. In part two, the gang breaks down the reports that predict...
Published 07/24/24
Ali, Richard, and Daniel kick things into gear with the launches of the brand new models of the smart #3, and the new EV on the block (and in the Mini family), the Mini Countryman SE All4. In Thailand, Chinese EV automaker Wuling has entered the ASEAN market with the launch of the incredibly affordable Binguo. They also check out the latest Alfa Romeo to hit European roads, the Junior Veloce EV, that could hark their potential return to Malaysia. Then, they explore the question: "Are...
Published 07/17/24
In local headlines this week, Mercedes revealed the AMG C63 - a sports car made even more powerful with F1 technology. And from around the region, Kia's EV3 makes waves in South Korea as we anticipate its Malaysian launch, confirmation of the return of the Prelude from Honda, and it's finally official - the EU increase Chinese-made EVs with tariffs. Tune in to find out more! In part two, with news of the World Economic Forum ranking Malaysia number 21 globally in road quality out of 144...
Published 07/10/24
In local headlines this week, before the dust can settle, tune in to find out how Chinese automakers Jaecoo and BYD are shaking up the market with the openings of their brand new showrooms. Then, to all double parkers out there (you know who you are), you've been warned: DBKL implemented new traffic compound rates from 1st July. In local launches, Citroën is back and throwing their hat into the local EV ring with a couple of exciting models. And globally, some sad news from Suzuki about the...
Published 07/03/24
The boys are back this week on Cruise Control! News of the latest local launches means SUV galore as Chery has rocked the Malaysian market with the Tiggo 7 Pro, and Mercedes-Benz has thrown their hat into the ring with facelift editions of their family-friendly GLB200 and GLB250. Then, a peek at the unbelievable, new Porsches at the Porsche World Roadshow at the Sepang circuit until the end of the week. And in the global auto world, tariffs imposed on Chinese EVs continue. Next, just over...
Published 06/26/24
It's a two-man show tonight as Ali and Daniel take us through the biggest headlines in the auto world. This week, Ali and Daniel first take a sporty hybrid Mercedes and a (very slightly) more powerful Volkswagen Golf out for a spin. And in industry news, tune in to find out more about the new Honda and Mitsubishi joint venture getting into the EV battery game, and how the local auto sector is performing this year. Then, believe it or not, Daniel enlightens us on why we need more car...
Published 06/19/24
Richard, Ali, and Daniel get into the story everyone's talking about this week: the diesel subsidy reforms that have caused diesel prices to increase more than 50% overnight. We unpack the knock on-effects that businesses and logistic services will pass down to customers, as stories of a tow truck company's announcement of price increases and a kopitiam increasing the price of kopi by 50 sen, both citing the scrap in subsidies, have gone viral. But first, some auto highlights of the week in...
Published 06/12/24
Kicking things off on Cruise Control with our biggest news this week, Ali, Richard, and Daniel get into the newly announced road tax structure for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) coming into effect in 2026. Next, with the possibility of a lemon law finally being introduced next year, we find out what it means to the country's car landscape and why we need it pronto. Then, some car launches already making waves fresh off the production lines: the Ford Ranger Stormtrak 2024 and the Peugeot 408...
Published 06/05/24
On Cruise Control this week, Ali and Daniel rev things up with the biggest highlights from the Malaysia Autoshow 2024: Perodua's first EV prototype in the form of the eMO-1 Myvi conversion, Neta Auto's latest offerings, and the brand new smart #3. Next, from four wheels to two wheels, they get into the new models rolling into our showrooms from two motorcycle icons; Vespa's Sprint and Primavera, to Triumph's upgraded Scrambler 1200 X and XE, the Tiger 900, and the Daytona 660. Then, it's...
Published 05/28/24
It's double trouble on the show this week as Daniel and Ali steer us through the latest in the automotive world. Starting things off with a couple of luxury new additions hitting our showrooms, the gorgeous, all-new Aston Martin Vantage model that's straight off the silver screen, and the elegant and athletic Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupé. Then, a pick of the headlines in the auto world: Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint in Malaysia, and the announcement of...
Published 05/15/24
This week, Daniel is back from China to regale us with the latest from the 2024 Beijing Auto Show. But first, some news from the auto world. We get a peek at the newest cars hitting our roads: the Peugeot 408 that inspires comparisons to a Lamborghini in Malaysia and Kia's all-new big, bold, beautiful EV9. Next, switching over to two wheels, the all new lighter, more powerful Harley-Davidson Street Glide that's the size of a car, and the Triumph's new T-series roadster, the Speed 400, the...
Published 05/08/24
Our Cruise Control trio returns this week bearing news, views and reviews of the local and regional automotive market. First, we look at the Jaecoo J7, China's long-awaited luxury off-roader SUV, currently available in our local markets, then turn to electronics manufacturer Xiaomi, which debuted the SU7 this month, an all-electric sedan that's unfortunately already plagued with accounts of crashes and delays. We find out why we probably won't be seeing the award-winning Geely Yinhe E8 as a...
Published 04/17/24
This week on Cruise Control, we're talking car launches, a shocking MotoGP deal, and a gorgeous brand new Ferrari. First up, we discuss Chinese manufacturers GAC Motors, the company behind the love-it-or-hate-it GAC EMZOOM, who have announced their partnership with CKD to assemble their vehicles in Malaysia. Then, we look at the new kid on our block, MG, whose award-winning MG4 is making a big splash as it finally enters our markets and is set to intensify the Chinese EV price war. Next,...
Published 04/03/24
This week on Cruise Control, Ali and Daniel take us through the latest in the automotive world. First up, we get the gears going with news of the latest car launches in Malaysia: from the surprising Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Isuzu Motors' recently revealed electric 1-ton D-Max pickup truck, to the brand new Audi Q6 e-tron and a first look at BMW's all-electric offering, the Neue Klasse X concept SUV. We also find out when we can expect to see them in our showrooms so we can test drive them for...
Published 03/27/24
Cruise Control returns with Rich and Daniel this week previewing some exciting new entries into the local market, mainly from China. It's not long until we see brands like Jetour, GAC and Leapmotor grace Malaysian roads, the new players are keen to offer local car buyers alternatives to what's currently available in the market.  Our discussion this week is an interesting one; pitting an EV with a hybrid compact crossover. Both are around the same price, we consider its multi purpose,...
Published 03/20/24
Cruise Control returns this week with exciting news on a brand new Maserati, and possibly Malaysia's first EV! Naza Italia announced the Maserati Gran Turismo, a high performance sports car that is also great for long distance travels. On a sombre note, we got word that iconic tire company Goodyear will be closing down their factory in Shah Alam, which had been in operation since 1972. The big news this week is Daniel's commentary on the prospects of a Perodua EV, based on Sime Darby's...
Published 03/13/24