Weekly Round-up: Stories you may have missed this week! (20 – 24 Sept.)



Welcome to the inaugural weekly round-up post, where we take a look at some of the biggest news and stories this past week. We’ll be doing this every Friday from now on to help recap on things that you might have missed, from new car launches globally to oddball stories – so be sure to leave a comment below to tell us what you’d like to see!

It’s been a busy week with quite a few big breaking news happening across the last five days. So without further ado, it’s time to grab yourselves a nice beverage and get stuck in.

Facts & Figures: Facelift Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ launched in Malaysia, RM1.1 million

Following the launch of the facelifted E-Class line-up here in Malaysia (which we took a brief look here!), Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has now also brought out the biggest and baddest of them all – the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4Matic+ – here onto our shores.

The 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 engine makes a whopping 612 hp and 850 Nm, which translates to a century sprint time of just 3.4 seconds – and in case you forget, it’s based on a luxobarge executive sedan for businessmen. Pricing starts at RM1.12 million.

All-new Honda BR-V launched in Indonesia, Honda Sensing available!

The second-generation budget-oriented seven-seater SUV has just been unveiled in Indonesia, and as much as Honda tried to convince us that the smart-looking N7X Concept isn’t the next-gen BR-V, it turns out that our guesses were right after all – and with that, they’ve also fixed one of the biggest design “flaw” in its predecessor!

The Honda BR-V is offered with just one engine option in Indonesia – a 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine making 121 hp and 145 Nm, and is paired to either a manual transmission or CVT automatic transmission, depending on the variant.

Interstate travelling to open soon – tourism sector to reopen from 1st Oct

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced that interstate travelling restrictions will soon be eased-up, alongside the reopening of tourist attractions and vacation islands nationwide, as soon as the Malaysian adult population achieves a fully vaccinated rate of 90%.  

Alongside the easing of travel restrictions, several more economic sectors have also been given the green light to operate again at full capacity, provided all patrons and staff are fully vaccinated. Petrol stations, convenience stores, and eateries can also now operate from 6 am to 12 midnight daily, regardless of NRP phase.

UMW Toyota shares cryptic invite – CKD hybrid models coming on 27th September?

UMW Toyota Motor shared a cryptic invite for an online event the 27th of September, with a copy that’s filled to the brim with marketing buzzwords. Nothing specific was mentioned, but the emphasis on “silence”, “energy”, and “power” does suggest that it’ll be something to do with its recent announcement of their CKD hybrid plans.

Are they launching an all-new CKD hybrid-powered model? And if so, which? Well, we narrowed it down to the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid based on an educated guess, but UMWT does have a knack for surprises…

Aston Martin KL presents bespoke DBX SUV in Arden Green, from RM1 million

Hot right off the press, this one. Aston Martin KL has just (quite literally) unveiled a new bespoke DBX SUV in their showroom, featuring a gorgeous Arden Green pain job on the outside.

The colour is said to be inspired by Aston Martin’s racing heritage, and although the signature Aston Martin race car colour is green, this one here instead adopts a lighter green hue, mixed with a little bit of grey in between. The unique colour is paired to a tan leather upholstery on the inside. Be sure to check out the pictures in the post, because this one’s a beauty!

Toyota Yaris gets SUV-inspired styling with new X-Urban trim in Thailand – 30 mm lift!

It seems like people just can’t get enough of the jacked-up hatchback faux-SUV look, because Toyota Thailand has just unveiled exactly that, based on the Yaris facelift that was unveiled last year.

Aside from the SUV-inspired body appendages including the plastic wheel arch protectors and bashplate-like bumpers, the Yaris X-Urban also gets a 30 mm lift for extra road clearance (and SUV-like looks…), thanks to a variant-specific suspension set-up.

Video: Perodua Ativa vs Nissan Almera Turbo vs Proton Iriz on KLIA runway!

Of course, we have to end this week’s round-up with our own drag race video, don’t we. In the fourth instalment of our 2021 runway drag series, it’s all about the “people’s car” – the Nissan Almera Turbo, Perodua Ativa, and Proton Iriz.

And just for old time’s sake, we also brought along our friend from WapCar, Mr. All-about-the-details Adrian Chia to join in on the fun (or show him who’s the boss, you decide). Watch on and find out who is the Jaguh Kampung 3.0!