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Kurnia Insurance 1st To Implement New Motor Insurance System

Mar 8th, 2010
by Jay WM Wong.
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From far left, Mr Carl Rajendram - CEO of ISM, Mr Lim Foong Keen - Senior Manager, Information Technology Services of ISM, Mr Sallehuddin Dato' Ahmad - Deputy General Manager, Head of Motor Claims, Motor Product Division of Kurnia Insurans and on the right is Mr Kamal Dato' Zakaria - General Manager, Head of Motor Divison of Kurnia Insurans.

A leading Malaysian motor insurer has commenced using the ISM Automotive Business Intelligence (ISM-ABI) for underwriting motor insurance. The ISM-ABI is an independent vehicle valuation system provided by ISM Insurance Services Malaysia Berhad (ISM). The ISM-ABI was approved by both Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM) last year as an approved reference for use by financial institutions in Malaysia and part of efforts to modernize motor insurance in Malaysia as announced by the government last year.

Mr. Carl Rajendram, Chief Executive Officer of ISM said “The first local insurance company to start using the system online is Kurnia Insurans, the largest motor insurer in Malaysia with 20% market share in motor insurance. Kurnia is using the ISM – ABI System to provide their customers with an indicative value of their vehicle upon purchasing or renewing their comprehensive motor insurance. Kurnia’s customers can therefore be assured that upon a vehicle theft or total loss claim, Kurnia shall pay an agreed insured value proposed by the customer and accepted by the insurance company under this new system”.

Kurnia’s General Manager for Motor, En Kamal Arifin said “The new ISM – ABI vehicle valuation system is not only a value-added service for our customers but also helps the company in its underwriting control in overcoming issues of over and under-insuring of vehicles by customers. However, with this new system the problem can be resolved as our Agents can obtain the insured value of a vehicle from an independent and well researched database provided by ISM. It’s a win-win situation for Kurnia and its Agents in ensuring the best service to our customers”.

Kurnia has started using the new system online since January 2010 through its Electronic Cover Note (eCN) web-based system for all its 7,000 agents nationwide. They have implemented the system for private cars comprehensive insurance for vehicle below 10 years for 6 common vehicles makes; Proton, Perodua, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi which makes up 80% of the total passenger cars in the market, and will be extended to other vehicle makes in the future when their agents are fully familiarized with the new vehicle valuation system

Rajendram said that the decision by Kurnia to adopt the new system would ultimately benefit all motor vehicle owners in Malaysia as the system reduced uncertainty and is more transparent for the consumer. ISM looks forward to more companies adopting the new system in 2010.

Posted in: Auto News, Industry News, Local, News.
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Ferrari Plans For Hybrid Versions of Every Model

Mar 5th, 2010
by Shahir R. Ali.
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Ferrari’s latest 599 Hybrid concept car, on display at the Geneva Motor Show, isn’t just another pipe dream. According to Ferrari, hybrid technology plays a big part in its future plans.

It is reported that CEO Luca di Montezemolo is aiming to apply the hybrid system displayed in the 599 HY-KERS show car to all of its production models.

Posted in: Auto News, Auto Shows, Ferrari, Geneva Motor Show.
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2010 Geneva: Citroen Survolt Concept

Mar 4th, 2010
by Shahir R. Ali.
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The French automaker has surprised us once again by unveiling another beauty at the 2010 Geneva motor show, called the Survolt concept.

Citroën bills the Survolt as a blend of “high-fashion, extravagance, and more than a hint of motor racing punch.” We’re told it’s an evolution of the Revolte concept shown at last year’s Frankfurt motor show (the Revolte is on the stand next to it), but the new concept bears as much resemblance to the original as Boyd Coddington’s CheZoom does to a stock ’57 Chevy.

Although some of the 2CV-inspired design cues are retained (notably the beveled hood, roofline, and sweeping side spear), the Survolt is lower, wider, and much more aggressive than its retro-styled predecessor. The car also appears to borrow much of its “motorsport” graphics, flared fenders, and underbody aero treatment from the GTbyCitroën concept, which stole the Paris show back in 2008.

Citroën’s shy about the details, but does note the car sports an all-electric powertrain — quite possibly making it the millionth eco-friendly sports car design on display this week in Switzerland. We wouldn’t be surprised if the show car shared much of its driveline with the Revolt, which was configured as an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV).

As usual, it’s extremely unlikely that the outlandish Survolt will ever see an assembly line, but it does signal that Citroën is increasingly interested in expanding its use of hybrid and electric powertrains in years to come.

Posted in: Auto Shows, Citroen, Geneva Motor Show.
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USF1 Tells Employees To “Go Home”

Mar 4th, 2010
by Shahir R. Ali.
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The USF1 saga may have finally reached a conclusion – for the 2010 season, anyway. With an unfinished car and just over a week until the season-opening race, the team has reportedly decided to sit the current year out.

USF1 management told employees yesterday to “go home,” effectively placing them on furlough. Seeing as the F1 season opener is next week and USF1 has yet to unveil a car, the chances of this team actually competing in the 2010 season move from slim to none.

USF1 CEO and president Ken Anderson apparently realizes this, and has petitioned the FIA to delay the team’s entry by a whole year.

“We have applied to the FIA to hold our entry until 2011,” Anderson said. “We are waiting for a reply from the FIA and working with them. In the meantime, there is nothing for the employees to do, so we have told them to stop working on the current car until we have a decision.”

If approved by the FIA, this may open up a spot for the Serbian Stefan GP team, which bought the remnants of Toyota’s F1 operations earlier this year. Stefan GP was previously rumored to have considered a merger with USF1 in order to enter the 2010 F1 season.

Posted in: F1, Motorsports.
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A Picture Paints a 1000 Cars in Geneva

Mar 4th, 2010
by viknacorp.
1 comment

Enjoy some of the best concept cars on display at 2010 Geneva Motorshow.

WARNING : Do Not Drool Over Your Keyboard

1) Bugatti Grand Sport

2) Pagani Zonda Tricolor

3) Koenigsegg Agera

4) Hispano Suiza

5) Porsche 918 Spyder Concept

6 ) NVL Quant

Posted in: Auto Shows, Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show.
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CNN Makes Its Formula One™ Debut With Lotus Racing

Mar 3rd, 2010
by viknacorp.
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wemotor.com - Lotus Racing Barca Testing

Lotus Racing and CNN International have today announced a partnership deal that sees the newest Formula One™ team entering into a long-term agreement with the world’s leading news network. CNN’s world famous logos will feature on the T127 race cars, the drivers’ overalls and on all team clothing. The deal will be managed by CNN’s commercial ‘Partner Solutions Group’ and is led by Rani Raad, senior vice president CNN International Advertising Sales.

“The combination of two such iconic and aspirational global brands fits perfectly with CNN International’s worldwide reach and brand positioning,” said Raad. “This unique partnership with Lotus Racing takes CNN International into a new era of marketing and promotions and puts us in front of a worldwide audience of millions.”

A delighted Lotus Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes commented: “We are very proud to welcome CNN into the Lotus Racing family. It is a sign of the positive impact we have already made in the global business market that such a prestigious brand, familiar to millions around the world as the definitive source of news and current affairs, has made the decision to partner with us. The whole team and I are looking forward to working with CNN in the months and years to come on some very exciting campaigns.”

Posted in: Europe, F1, International, Lotus, Motorsports.
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Proton Showcases EMAS Concept Car Series At Geneva Motorshow

Mar 3rd, 2010
by viknacorp.
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Wemotor.com - EMAS Concept by Proton

wemotor.com - EMAS Concept by Proton

Malaysian car manufacturer PROTON today unveiled a series of concept global cars at the prestigious 80th International Geneva Motor Show. The three concept global cars – EMAS, EMAS Country and EMAS3 which is certainly an optimistic signal that PROTON’s long-term plan is to expand its footprint in the global automotive market.

EMAS – which means gold in the Malay language – stands for Eco Mobility Advance Solution, and is a result of the joint collaboration between PROTON, its subsidiary Lotus, and Italian design house, Italdesign Giugiaro (IDG). The cars were unveiled at IDG’s booth by PROTON Advisor and former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and will be displayed throughout the exhibition from 4th to 14 March 2010. PROTON Holdings Berhad Chairman Dato’ Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh and Group Managing Director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir as well as Italdesign Giugiaro Chairman Giorgetto Giugiaro and Co-Chairman Fabrizio Giugiaro were present to witness the unveiling.

Speaking on the collaboration with IDG, Dato’ Mohd. Nadzmi said, “We constantly strive to acquire and jointly develop new knowledge, skills and technologies that will ultimately benefit our customers. While we continue to gain progressive technology from our subsidiary Lotus, our design collaboration with IDG will further strengthened our position within the global automotive industry.”

He added that PROTON wanted to work with the best and IDG topped other styling and design houses with their credibility and flair. “We undertook a careful process of benchmarking and a thorough point-by-point analysis of strengths and weaknesses in our decision. With IDG, we have good design and more, as they would contribute in our brand-building initiatives as well as provide knowledge-transfer to accelerate our learning curve in car design.”

Dato’ Syed Zainal Abidin said that the EMAS concept global car project signifies PROTON’s “golden” opportunity to stand in competence with the global automotive market. “The unveiling of the concept cars today reflects the long-term strategy we have in matching global automotive standards as we expand and reinforce our presence worldwide.”

Dato’ Syed Zainal Abidin pointed out that the concept cars are the yardstick to gauge public opinion. “We strive to listen to our customers to ensure the development of a global car that meets customer’s requirements and expectations. The aim is to produce the global car for world market in the future,” he said.

The unveiling was also timely with PROTON’s silver jubilee celebration this year. “We are certainly very thankful and humbled that this is happening as we celebrate our 25 years of existence in the industry. We certainly will make full use of this opportunity to reach out and build our brand further into the global world,” said Dato’ Syed Zainal Abidin.

The EMAS series is a family of low-environmental-impact cars and are expected to revolutionise traditional car market segmentation. It consists of a five-door four-seater hatchback “EMAS” for comfort driving, a three-door five-seater hatchback “EMAS Country” for country driving, and a three-door 3+1 plus-seater “EMAS3” for city driving.

The concept cars were designed by IDG to fit the description of a compact car with the passenger room of an SUV. The aim is to maximise the interior roominess and improving access to the vehicles.

The cars also feature the following attributes

  • Hi-tech multifunction display – Interactive & user friendly
  • Fuel efficient styling – Low drag through sleek silhouette
  • Safe – Excellent all round visibility via panoramic glass + LED clusters
  • Compact exterior  – Ease of maneuverability & practical

The cars are powered by a serial hybrid plug-in drive system developed by Lotus Engineering that includes a 3-cylinder 1.2 litre internal combustion engine developing 51 horsepower (38 kW) at 3,500 rpm. The engine is able to run on petrol, ethanol, methanol or natural gas.

Posted in: Asia, Auto Shows, Concept Cars, Europe, Geneva Motor Show, Hybrid, Industry News, International, News, Proton.
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Lotus F1 car worse than 2003 Minardi says Heikki

Mar 2nd, 2010
by viknacorp.
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Heikki Kovalainen has admitted that the Lotus T127 is worse than the Minardi he tested more than six years ago. Kovalainen drove a Minardi at Vallelunga in late 2003, just a few days after making his F1 test debut with Renault. After two years at McLaren, Kovalainen is driving for F1 debutants Lotus this year and has been testing its new car for the last two weeks.

At the end of 2003, Minardi was regularly five seconds off the pace of the leaders. Kovalainen’s team-mate Jarno Trulli said last weekend that he thinks the T127 is about 4-5 seconds off the pace of the front-runners. But in 2010 there is more parity between teams in terms of engine and tyre performance, meaning any difference in lap times is more directly linked to failings with the chassis. Kovalainen admitted that Lotus’ “biggest problem” is currently with the car’s aerodynamics, before adding he had “never gone into a season with less testing”.

Team boss Tony Fernandes is more optimistic about the team’s preparations and thinks it has made significant progress since its debut just over two weeks ago.”We reckon we will be three-and-a-half seconds off the fastest car [in Bahrain], an improvement of five seconds from Jerez,” he said. “We keep chipping away.”

Lotus is hoping to be the best of the newcomers this season and has focussed on reliability over performance for the opening rounds. It will bring a major upgrade to the Spanish Grand Prix in May, which technical director Mike Gascoyne is hoping will close the gap to the midfield.

Posted in: F1, Motorsports.
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Proton Appoints BVR Subba As New Board Member

Mar 1st, 2010
by Shahir R. Ali.
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PROTON Holdings Berhad today announced the appointment of  Behara Venkata Rama Subbu as a new member of the Board of PROTON Holdings Berhad.

B.V.R. Subbu, 56, has vast automotive industry experience, notably for his leadership in Hyundai Motors India where he last served as President. After nine years in Hyundai, he left in 2006 to take on advisory roles in several automotive outfits based in India. He also holds a directorship in Avasarala Technologies Ltd, a specialised component and module manufacturer.

PROTON Holdings Berhad Chairman, Dato’ Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh said: “BVR Subbu’s extensive experience in the Indian automotive market will be valuable in our plans to expand our business in India. With BVR Subbu on our Board, the Company is now more equipped in its effort to focus on PROTON’s long term export strategy, particularly in the ASEAN, China and India markets.”

BVR Subbu holds a MA in Economics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and a PGDIT from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi. Prior to Hyundai Motors India, he was attached to Tata Administrative Services from 1978 to 1996 where he formulated various strategies in the areas of marketing, sales, service, spare parts and vehicle finance.

Posted in: Industry News, Local, Proton.
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Ferrari 599 Hybrid Images Leaked Ahead of Geneva 2010

Mar 1st, 2010
by Shahir R. Ali.
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As one of the more hotly anticipated vehicles of the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari 599 Hybrid is on the list of cars people just can’t wait to see. Despite Ferrari’s efforts to keep its show car away from prying eyes before its official debut, intrepid auto buffs have managed to snag the first series of images of the hybridized supercar, presumably from the actual Geneva show stand.

So the could be seen as somewhat eco-friendly, Ferrari has given it a vibrant shade of green. The 599 Hybrid looks virtually identical to the standard production version. The difference can be seen underneath, where you’ll see the high-voltage setup that stores braking energy for an extra boost of power via a push of the steering-wheel mounted button. The setup mimics the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) used in Ferrari’s Formula 1 cars during the 2009 season.

Further details await at the start of the Geneva motor show next week

Posted in: Auto Shows, Ferrari, Geneva Motor Show.
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