TAN CHONG RECEIVES AWARD FOR TOP SPOT IN J.D. POWER ASIA PACIFIC 2012 SSI STUDY

‘You Can Count On Us’ customer service promise produces satisfied new Nissan customers in Malaysia.

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn. Bhd. (ETCM) today received the award for its recent achievement of being ranked No. 1 in J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2012 Malaysia Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) StudySM at a ceremony held at ETCM’s Raja Laut showroom. The award was presented by Mr. Gerrit Kuyntjes, Vice President of J.D. Power Asia Pacific to Dato’ Tan Heng Chew, Executive Deputy Chairman and Group Managing Director of Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad.

Speaking at the SSI Study award presentation ceremony, Dato’ Dr Ang Bon Beng, Executive Director of ETCM credited the achievement to ETCM’s successful customer service enhancement activities through the introduction of “You Can Count On Us”. “We are extremely honored and proud that Nissan is ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2012 Malaysia Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study. This recognition would not have been possible without the strong teamwork and dedication of everyone in Tan Chong Motor, and especially the invaluable support given by Nissan customers. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers who have been supporting us all these years.”

 “You Can Count on Us” is ETCM’s promise and commitment to deliver excellent customer service driven by the 3 values of being Friendly, Dedicated and Trustworthy. Nissan customers will be assured of a satisfying, worthwhile and positive experience when they walk into Nissan showrooms.

Throughout the years, ETCM has invested time and resources towards improving the skills of their Sales Advisors. Various activities include trainings to enhance product knowledge, communication and customer service skills to inspire performance and commitment.

“Winning the top spot in the SSI Study has spurred us to further strengthen our commitment to our customers. In line with Nissan’s direction of creating a world-class standard of service that will help us build lasting relationships with every Nissan customer, we are committed to consistently offer compelling services and enrich lives through our products and services,” added Dato’ Dr Ang.  

Dato’ Dr Ang Bon Beng, Executive Director of ETCM, Dato’ Tan Heng Chew, Executive Deputy Chairman and Group Managing Director of Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad receiving the award from Mr. Gerrit Kuyntjes, Vice President of J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Mr. Loic Pean, Senior Manager of J.D. Power Asia Pacific

Second batch of Nissan Leaf ambassadors revealed

Back in July, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) introduced the first batch of four ambassadors for its Nissan Leaf pliot program, which is part of the company’s “Journey to Zero Emission” initiative. The Nissan Leaf is of course the production electric car that’s already on sale elsewhere in the world, although Malaysia isn’t quite ready yet, and the 10 units registered by ETCM are for trials and awareness.
The first group had Jason Goh, Yoong Huey Yee, Rizman Harith Merican and Daniel Yap drive and live with the Leaf for six weeks. They had to share their daily experience with friends and the public via different mediums such as video clips, write-ups as well as feedback to ETCM on the car’s performance in the real world. We managed to get one of them to share his experience with you.

“The biggest problem is the perception of a limited range,” Yap shared. “Granted any EV will not be able to make cross-country commutes but when it comes to pure city driving, then the EV will certainly be able to get you there and back 99.9% of the time.”
Fellow ambassador Rizman Merican revealed something many are curious about – cost. “On average I would fill up about RM200 for my car each week, so for a month, it would be about RM800. With the Leaf, I calculated that it would cost me about RM4 per full charge. So for my routine, I only charged the car once in two days, which would mean an expenditure of only RM60 a month on electricity,” he said.
This morning saw a second batch of eager ambassadors take over the baton. The four are Datuk Dr Norbik Bashah bin Idris (53, UTM professor), Hanis Azarea (24, videographer), Suresh Thirugnanam (47, COO of Jobstreet) and Mr & Mrs Tan Thiam Chye, a married couple with two young kids. The good professor was unavailable today, which is why you only see three cars in the pic.

All of them live on landed property, which makes charging the Leaf easy. It’s not as simple as plugging the cable into the home 13A three-pin plug, as the Leaf’s 16A charger can possibly melt the plug or trip the fuse. 20A industrial plugs have been installed for the four, and they can also drop by KETTHA in Putrajaya and ETCM’s Jalan Ipoh HQ to recharge. Other ETCM charge points are in PJ and Jalan Raja Chulan.
Also, ETCM’s First Energy Networks will introduce EV charging parking lots at KLCC and Lot 10 very soon, so that’s another avenue, although the Leaf’s over 100 km real world range is sufficient for most home-work-home routines.
Drive safe and enjoy the ride, folks! We’ve had a go at the Leaf ourselves.

Nissan 370Z facelift surfaces in Paris, gets LED DRLs

This is the Euro-facelift Nissan 370Z currently on display in Paris, and if you feel like playing a game of spot-the-difference to liven up a dreary weekday, put pictures of this and the pre-facelift 370Z side-by-side, spot away and then read on to see if you got them all…
Right, there’s a reworked front bumper with a more rounded air intake and vertical daytime-running LEDs. The brake callipers, which hide behind new optional 19-inch alloy wheels, are now painted red. Two new exterior hues have been added to the menu: Meguma Red and Midnight Blue. Inside, the only change is a new instrument panel with a black background. That’s it. It’s more a minor refresh, really.
The 328 PS 3.7 litre V6 will continue to serve both coupe and roadster models, with manual transmission versions still getting Nissan’s world-first Syncro Rev Match. Deliveries of the 370Z facelift are expected to begin next month, with Auto Express reporting a UK price tag of around £28k (RM140k).

Nissan NV350 Caravan Drives Red Bull Racing

• Nissan is the official global LCV supplier to the reigning Formula One double World Championship team, Red Bull Racing
• NV350 Caravan will help transport Red Bull Racing's equipment and staff at the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix

NV350 Caravan

YOKOHAMA, Japan (October 4, 2012)—Moving forward with the partnership between the Renault and Infiniti team and the reigning Formula One World Champion team, Red Bull Racing, Nissan's Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit will provide the Red Bull team with eight all-new NV350 Caravans to support race operations at the next Formula One Japanese Grand Prix. Since its release in June 2012, the NV350 Caravan has proven very popular with consumers. Outfitted with Red Bull Racing Team logos, the Nissan NV350 Caravans will play a vital role in supporting the Red Bull team by transporting equipment and staff at the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, which runs from October 5-7.

Red Bull Racing, which is based in Milton Keynes in the UK, is making use of Nissan light commercial vehicles – including the award-winning NV200 and new NV400 – throughout the 2012 season as it defends its drivers' and teams' titles.
To assist with Red Bull's transportation needs, Nissan's Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit is supplying a fleet of more than 30 vehicles and related services to the team. Nissan support vehicles have been based at the team's UK headquarters and used for all European events.
Through supply of the NV200 and Civilian for the Chinese Grand Prix in April and the NV3500 for the Grand Prix du Canada in June and so forth, Nissan has provided vehicles that meet the team's needs in each region. For the Japanese Grand Prix, the recently-released, highly-versatile NV350 Caravan has been chosen.
Nissan Motor Company Corporate Vice President Hideto Murakami, head of the Global Light Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, commented: "We are pleased to offer our latest model NV350 Caravan to the defending Formula One World Champions, Red Bull Racing, for the Japanese Grand Prix here in Nissan's home market. We are confident that the versatility and superior convenience of the NV350 Caravan will provide excellent support for Red Bull Racing's operations at Suzuka, and that its powerful design will provide encouragement for the team—hopefully leading to a successful result in the race."
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, commented: "Within such a high- pressure and challenging environment as Formula One, we need reliable partners taking care of all our versatile transportation needs all over the world. Extensive travel is part and parcel of Formula One, and the transportation of our material and staff are an essential part of our successful operations. We are very reassured that the NV350 Caravan will be supporting our race operations at this year's Japanese Grand Prix."
Initially released in Japan in June 2012, the NV350 Caravan will be on sale around the world, and has received rave reviews from customers due to its class-leading fuel economy, impressive design with real presence, spacious and user-friendly load area, and advanced equipment not seen in previous commercial vehicles. It received Japan's Good Design Award 2012, and the wide-version model is scheduled for release this winter.
About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.8 million vehicles in 2011, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($118.95 billion US). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.

NISSAN TREASURE HUNT 22/9/2012 KOTA KINABALU SABAH