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SPYSHOTS: White Nissan Note sighted in Malaysia with registered Wilayah number plate

Remember that white Nissan Note that we saw in Bangsar? That one had a trade plate. Today we caught another Nissan Note in the Klang Valley, this time registered with a Wilayah number plate.
Could it be the very same car? Maybe, or maybe not – the Bangsar car was fitted with black steel wheels while this white one looks like it had alloy wheels. This could also very well be a grey import.
Malaysia first got a preview of the Nissan Note at KLIMS 2013, where the Honda Jazz-size tall roof hatchback was displayed together with a preliminary spec sheet. The spec sheet listed a 1.5 iltre HR15DE CVTC engine, producing 102 PS and 139 Nm of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox.
The last official word was that the Nissan Note was planned to be launched by the end of 2014. The word through the grapevine now is that the launch has been postponed while Tan Chong works on how to get a more competitive price on it. The new Honda Jazz probably has something to do with it, launched recently with attractive pricing and specifications, and the H badge is more popular with the consumers.
Nissan’s next product launches should be the facelifted Nissan Serena S-Hybrid MPV and the new Nissan X-Trail, both set to be locally assembled in Malaysia.

COMOS introduces EV car-sharing programme to the public, official launch to take place next month

Cohesive Mobility Solution (COMOS) is set to launch its electric vehicle (EV) sharing programme next month, and ahead of that, it has opened membership registration to the public. The scheme is the first of its kind in the region.
COMOS is giving 100 lucky members the chance to enjoy unlimited usage of the car-sharing services during the trial period, which is between the date of the programme’s launch in October and the end of the year. After that, full deployment will take place.
What has been achieved so far since the ‘soft launch‘ in June? Well, the Renault Zoe and Renault Twizy, both of which are not on sale for the Malaysian public, have been approved by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

According to COMOS executive chairman and ex-Proton MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin, JPJ has decided that you need a car licence to drive the Twizy, which effectively classifies it as a car and not a motorcycle. You wouldn’t be allowed to take it on the PLUS Highway, apparently – most likely for safety reasons, as it wouldn’t be able to reach highway speeds.
To date, 46 Renault Zoes have arrived in Malaysia for COMOS, and 30 Renault Twizys are set to land in November. Nissan Leaf? Next year. 60 Klang Valley locations have been identified for charging stations, and at 15 of these, work has already begun.
By 2017, the aim is to have the service running in Langkawi, Penang, Melaka and Johor Bahru, with rapid charging stations located at every rest stop along the North-South Highway.

Branding agreements have been signed with Petronas, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Celcom. COMOS is working with UTM to develop and commercialise hydrogen charging systems for EVs, and Celcom will provide the payment gateway and vehicle connectivity.
COMOS also shared tentative pricing with members of the media at a recent briefing – membership fees of RM300 annually or RM50 monthly, along with RM20-25 per hour of usage.
It’s not just about private users – COMOS is also offering corporate leasing packages, which include unlimited mileage, periodical maintenance and a wall-mounted charger at the customer’s location.

There’re also advertising packages, which give you three free membership cards for one year. Both packages will include customers’ logos on the cars, and both are eligible for corporate double tax deduction.
Through the leasing package, COMOS claims to offer savings, over three years, of nearly RM30,000 for a Renault Zoe against a Honda Civic, and RM33,000 for a Nissan Leaf over a Honda Accord. These are based on tentative monthly lease prices of RM4,450 for the Zoe and RM5,300 for the Leaf.
EV tourism is also in the plans, under the COMOS EcoRide moniker. Tourists will be able to rent Twizys from hotels and tourist centres, and use them to explore, with navigation and voice-guided tours thrown in. The concept is planned for Langkawi, Putrajaya and KL. DBKL is also apparently interested in using the Twizy for patrolling purposes, Syed Zainal said.

With all said and done, I had a short spin in the COMOS Renault Zoe. It was late afternoon and the office crowd was taking to the roads in Mutiara Damansara in full force, which meant I could only have a quick fling around The Curve’s inner road.
Simple – all you had to do was touch the RFID membership card on a scanner located behind the windscreen’s bottom-right, a green light would flash and the car would unlock automatically.
You then get in, enter a six-digit PIN into a little machine on the windscreen’s top-right, answer some rudimentary questions (Do you possess a valid driving licence? Are there any damages to the vehicle?), press the start button (car key already in the slot) and you’re good to go.

Not much to be gleaned from the test drive (I drove it for all of ten minutes), safe for everything you’d expect – a good dose of instantaneous, low-down torque, along with whisper-quiet progress.
Low-speed brake pedal action took some getting used to – nothing much in the first few centimetres of travel, and then a lot of retardation thereafter. The brakes are regenerative, of course. The steering seemed to be devoid of any feel, feedback or weight, but ride comfort wasn’t bad.
Still, as much as we seem to love placing electric cars on an out-of-reach, out-of-reality pedestal, the Zoe drives very much like a… well, car. I eagerly await a second date for further inspection!

IIMS 2014: New Nissan X-Trail launched in Indonesia

Spotted at the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) 2014 was the new third-generation Nissan X-Trail. Assembled in Cikampek, West Java, the Japanese seven-seater SUV made its debut in the archipelago a couple of weeks ago, making Indonesia the first country in ASEAN to receive it (the car was also launched in the Philippines last week).
Looking pretty much like a stretched Qashqai, the X-Trail features Nissan’s latest design language, with its “V-Motion” grille, slim headlights, D-pillar kink, C-shaped tail lights and assortment of sweeps and curves.
The interior will be familiar to anyone who’s driven the Teana, except for the standard third-row seats. Our man Danny Tan – who was at the show – says the seating arrangement is more 5+2, as the rear-most seats are only really suited for children.

Two four-cylinder petrol engine choices are available – a Serena S-Hybrid-derived MR20DD 2.0 litre direct-injected mill developing 144 PS and 200 Nm, as well as a QR25DE 2.5 litre MPI motor from the Teana that produces 171 PS and 233 Nm. The former is available with either a six-speed manual or an Xtronic CVT, the latter only available with the Xtronic. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels.
Standard on all models are LED daytime running lights, auto headlamps and Active Ride Control. The 2.0 CVT adds self-levelling full-LED headlamps, auto wipers, heated door mirrors, keyless entry, push-button start, power-operated front seats, an Around View Monitor and an ECO mode switch, while the 2.5 is the only one with cruise control, 18-inch wheels (other models get 17’s), leather seats and dual-zone climate control.
Safety-wise, the Indonesian X-Trail comes with just dual airbags, but it also comes standard with ABS with EBD and brake assist, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Hill Start Assist, Active Trace Control (called Active Understeer Control on Malaysian-market Teana models) and ISOFIX child seat anchors on the second row bench. The 2.5 also benefits from Active Engine Braking.

Prices start at Rp. 383 million (RM103,300) for the 2.0 litre manual, rising to Rp. 413 million (RM111,300) for the CVT-equipped 2.0 litre and Rp. 431.5 million (RM116,900) for the 2.5 litre model. Five colours are available – Premium Bronze Metallic, Floral White, Phantom Black, Smokey Grey Metallic and Diamond Silver Metallic.
Malaysian distributor Edaran Tan Chong recently announced that the X-Trail will make its way to our shores by the end of the year, locally-assembled and ready to take on the Honda CR-V, the Mazda CX-5, the Ford Kuga and the seven-seater Chevrolet Captiva.

Nissan opens 18th 3S centre in Tawau, Sabah

Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) has opened its 18th Nissan 3S centre in Tawau, Sabah. With a total built-up area of over 3,458 square feet and an investment of RM1.5 million, the new 3S centre can display up to five Nissan models at any one time, and is staffed by 12 sales advisors and six technicians.
Amenities include a lounge and refreshment bar with WiFi connectivity, as well as a Kid’s Corner. The workshop is capable of servicing up to 40 cars a day.

“As our product line-up continues to grow and improve, it is important that we strengthen our after-sales support for our customers,” said ETCM executive director Datuk David Chen.
To date, ETCM has an extensive network of 106 showrooms, dealers included, and 59 Tan Chong Express Auto Service (TCEAS) workshops throughout the nation. Another 3S centre is in the plans for Glenmarie, Shah Alam.