Day: September 30, 2021

After some teasing, ACO Tech has finally revealed what it has been working on all this while. This is ATLAS (an acronym for ACO Tech Local Automotive Services), an infotainment operating system (OS) that will undoubtedly make its way to Proton models in the future.

Wholly led and developed by a Malaysian team and backed by an investment of RM30 million, ATLAS offers an enhanced user experience with new features and is supported by a complimentary mobile app called ATLAS Auto, which we’ll get to shortly.

Unlike the current GKUI software that is built on Android 8 (Oreo), ATLAS is entirely new and makes the shift to Android 9 (Pie), although you still won’t have access to Google-related services like the Play Store. Instead, apps, other content and data packages can be obtained via the proprietary A-Store within the OS.

The user interface is a somewhat familiar one, with the homepage closely resembling the GKUI software in the latest Iriz and Persona. In terms of layout, the map is displayed on the left side of the screen, while customisable widgets for things like the weather, media playback and quick access to the apps are on the right. As before, there’s also an app drawer so you can see everything installed and for you to access vehicle settings, and you can still personalise the OS’ look using themes.

Voice commands are an integral part of the GKUI experience, and this has been further improved in ATLAS. You can choose from male (Atlas) and female (Aethra) voices, while the voice command name and user’s name can also be customised. Under the hood changes also help the system better able to understand Malaysians and localised English better, which is something we’d really love to try out.

The system is also able to notify the driver of any extreme weather in advance and tyre punctures, the latter dependent on the specification of the car. Meanwhile, on the entertainment front, Astro’s Syok platform (digital radio, podcasts, etc.) joins the existing Joox online music streaming service, but there’s still no mention of Spotify, or Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for that matter.

On the navigation front, ATLAS’ Map app features real-time traffic information, points of interest, and is tied to the system’s weather app to alert the driver of the weather at the destination and even changing conditions along the route. If there’s no active internet or GPS connection, drivers will still be able to navigate using offline map data. Another useful feature is if the system detects the car is low on fuel, it can suggest the nearest petrol station for the driver to navigate to.

In Q2 2022, a calendar feature will be added to the system, allowing users to sync their calender and meeting reminders from their mobile device. ACO Tech says the system will use the information and provide users with a suggested departure time to make sure they arrive on time.

In-car payments, dubbed ATLAS Pay, will also be added to the in-car OS by the first half of next year, allowing users to make payments and transactions securely without leaving their cars. This is a first in the local automotive industry and will be powered by Fasspay.

ATLAS Pay will also be included in the aforementioned ATLAS Auto app, which will arrive sooner in Q4 2021. Available for download from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei AppGallery on mobile devices, the app allows users to integrate several e-wallet platforms into a single one. Additionally, users can browse and purchase services via an online mall and discover news and other information.

More importantly, the app also handles telematics functions, allowing users to control vehicle functions remotely or to check up on the status of their cars. You can even sync the app to your wearable devices from Q1 2022 to stay connected to your vehicle and send friend invitations to be picked up.

“The ATLAS is intelligent, proactive and humanised. The ecosystem is not only integral in transforming people’s relationship with their car, in-vehicle or remotely, we believe that it underpins the future of automotive user experience and paves the way for autonomous vehicle in Malaysia,” said Li Pu, CEO of ACO Tech.

Looking at the images provided by ACO Tech, it looks like the Iriz and Persona will be the first to benefit from ATLAS, but it isn’t known if the OS will be rolled out to the X50 and X70 – we’ll have to check with Proton and report back. What are your thoughts on ATLAS? Share them in the comments below.

GALLERY: ATLAS infotainment OS

GALLERY: ATLAS Auto app

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Having been teased for a a week now, the new fourth-generation Suzuki Jimny is officially on sale in Malaysia. The tiny 4×4 arrives here with a big price – RM168,900 on-the-road without insurance, inclusive of a 50% sales and service tax (SST) rebate (the car is fully imported from Japan).

Power comes from a 1.5 litre VVT four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 100 hp at 6,000 rpm and 130 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. It is mated exclusively to a four-speed automatic gearbox and a part-time four-wheel-drive system with viscous coupling and a low-range transfer box.

Standard kit includes automatic LED projector headlights, fog lights, 15-inch grey alloy wheels, manual fabric seats, single-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay connectivity and two speakers. Safety-wise you get just two airbags to go with your ABS, brake assist, stability control and rear ISOFIX child seat anchors.

GALLERY: Suzuki Jimny at GIIAS 2019

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Sir Jony Ive (right) and Marc Newson are behind the LoveFrom creative collective

Big news from the world of design, with two of the biggest names coming together. Sir Jony Ive, the man behind all the Apple products that you know and love, will be working with Ferrari.

This deal is between the Agnelli family’s holding company Exor – which has a big stake in Ferrari – the Maranello supercar maker itself, and LoveFrom, the creative collective founded by Ive and fellow designer Marc Newson. It’s a long term, multi-year collaboration.

“The first expression of this new partnership will bring together Ferrari’s legendary performance and excellence with LoveFrom’s unrivalled experience and creativity that has defined extraordinary world changing products. Beyond the collaboration with Ferrari, LoveFrom will explore a range of creative projects with Exor in the business of luxury,” the press release said.

The deal will also see Ive join Exor’s Partners Council. This annual forum draws on the experience, expertise and insights of a group of highly successful Exor friends and partners, to share ideas and explore potential business opportunities. Besides Ferrari, Exor also has stakes in Stellantis and famous shoemaker Christian Louboutin. It also controls Juventus, the Italian football club.

“In building great companies, we also believe in building great partnerships. Soon after LoveFrom was founded we began to talk with Jony and Marc about opportunities to combine their world-renowned creativity with ours, in complementary and incremental ways. Ferrari represents a first, exciting chance to do great things together as we build our future,” said John Elkann, chairman and CEO of Exor and chairman of Ferrari.

“We have been friends with John for many years and are great admirers of his insight and vision. We are thrilled to be embarking on such an important, long term collaboration with Ferrari and more broadly Exor. As Ferrari owners and collectors, we could not be more excited about collaborating with this extraordinary company and in particular with the design team expertly led by Flavio Manzoni,” Ive and Newson jointly said.

“We see some uniquely exciting opportunities working together which we believe will yield important and valuable work,” the LoveFrom duo added.

It will be interesting to see what Ive will bring to the Ferrari design table. The former Apple chief design officer is known to be a car enthusiast, and besides cars with the prancing horse badge, the Brit has a thing for Aston Martins and Bentleys. What do you think of the looks of today’s Ferraris, and which is your favourite Ferrari of all time? Mine is the 355.

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This is the new Honda Integra, and no, this isn’t precisely the Integra that was first teased by Acura back in August, which is only set to debut in 2022. Confused? Let us explain.

The Integra seen here will go on sale in China in the fourth quarter of this year and is essentially the 11th-generation Civic, but with a new name and some styling tweaks. Why not just call it a Civic then? Well, that’s because there’s already a Civic in China, which is built by Dongfeng Honda, a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Group and Honda Motor Company.

This alternate version of the Civic is built by Guangqi Honda (GAC-Honda), which is another joint venture that the Japanese carmaker has with GAC Group. The company decided to bring back the Integra name for its take on the Civic, as it says it will better appeal to young consumers.

Having two almost identical Honda models with different names is nothing new in China, as we’ve seen with the GAC-built Vezel (we know it as the HR-V) and Dongfeng’s XR-V. Other examples include GAC’s Breeze and Dongfeng’s CR-V.

With that cleared up, let’s talk about the Integra itself. Still recognisably a Civic, the most notable styling changes can be seen at the front, where there is now a normal six-point grille instead of a body-coloured bar. This is flanked by slimmer headlamps, while the lower apron gets a smaller intake and more subtle fog lamp sections.

Moving to the rear, you’ll find distinctive inverted L-shaped taillights that extend into the boot lid, meeting up with the sharply creased number plate recess. Based on these photos and images from China’s ministry of industry and information technology, the rear apron will come in two flavours.

The standard car gets an aggressive rear bumper with vertical reflectors, a centre fog light and a large black insert that shades twin tailpipes. There’s also a sporty option that swaps out the insert for a diffuser-like element, also in black, and adds on chrome finishers to the exhaust outlets.

Detailed specifications aren’t out yet, but based on the “240 Turbo” badging, it’s likely motivation will come from the usual 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo four-cylinder engine (in the higher 182 PS specification available for the Civic globally), paired with a CVT to drive the front wheels. There are also two colours offered, including Emerald Blue and Fiery Yellow.

Other features noted in the ministry’s documents include wheels ranging from 16 to 18 inches in size, LED headlamps, the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver assist systems, black-coloured exterior items and leather upholstery. We’ll only know more when the car is properly launched later this year.

So, what are your thoughts on the China-market Integra? Is it better-looking than the regular Civic? Should the name even be used at all? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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The Nissan Sylphy e-Power has officially been unveiled in China. The Sylphy is the automaker’s best-selling sedan in the country, which can now be had with its second-generation e-Power electrified powertrain.

It’s basically a fully electric car, but instead of plugging in for charging, there’s a small and efficient petrol engine onboard to do the deed. An electric motor with 300 Nm of torque provides drive to the front wheels, which Nissan says will deliver responsive acceleration, smooth deceleration and cabin quietness similar to that of an EV.

The automaker has yet to disclose the full technical details of the Sylphy’s e-Power system, but says the C-segment sedan has a fuel economy rating of 3.9 litres per 100 km (based on China’s own testing standards). The car also offers five drive modes that cycle between maximum efficiency or performance.

Takeshi Yamaguchi, vice president of Dongfeng Motor and managing director of Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company, said: “The launch of the Nissan e-Power Sylphy in China represents the determination of Nissan to introduce cutting-edge technologies in this core market, to accelerate the company’s vision for electrified mobility and the achievement of China’s carbon neutrality goals.”

“e-Power is designed to bring a whole new driving experience to customers in China in their pursuit for high-quality mobility in the era of electrification,” he added.

The e-Power system was first introduced in Japan with the Note in 2016, with cumulative sales already exceeding the 500,000 mark as of March 2021. In China, the company expects this technology to contribute to the government’s sustainable development roadmap, and aligns with Nissan’s global goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2050.

By the early 2030s, every all-new Nissan vehicle offered in key markets will be electrified. For China, there will be six more e-Power models planned for introduction through 2025.

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