Proton Vendors Association President Dr Wan Mohamed has spoken in defense of allegations that automotive parts sourced from Malaysia can be up to 50% more than those made in Japan. He says that these studies comparing parts prices have questionable materials and methods and even then, they only reveal parts prices between 5% to 15% higher than those in Japan, and in selected sub-sectors only.
According to Dr Wan Mohamed, the Perodua Myvi and Perodua Viva achieved a market price lower than its predecessors because of its 80% parts localisation compared to the Kelisa’s 65% local parts. He argued that if Malaysian parts was indeed more expensive, the cheaper prices for the new Perodua vehicles could not be achieved.
He also cited a few examples on why Japanese parts can be priced cheaper including lower finance charges of as low as 1% per annum for Japanese automotive vendors, lower cost and easy availability of raw materials in Japan, lower mould, die and production line costs, lower amortization and depreciation costs, and a higher degree of automation that Malaysian vendors with lower economies of scale cannot achieve.
He also added that Malaysian vendors have higher levels of wastage due to process rejects due to lower input in R&D but did not go into detail.
Many motorists find it difficult to find a trustworthy place for their automotive repairs. Some people prefer to take their vehicle straight to the dealership, while others feel more comfortable with an Independent repair shop. So, which is better?
There are several dealership advantages. First, dealerships have to pay for the training of their technicians, and provide special equipment and tools to maintain their franchise license. Also, they have one year?s worth of proprietary information on new cars that they have sold and serviced. This is information important for diagnosis and repair, and yet no one except the dealer can access it. Finally, service departments in dealerships basically work on the makes and models of the vehicles that they sell. This means that they are more familiar with these particular vehicles, so often diagnosis is quick and accurate.
There are also advantages to the independent shop. Independent facilities are there to serve their neighborhood. This means that customers enjoy personal customer service. In addition, an independent shop offers services that are versatile on a diverse range of vehicles. Many independent repair shops that are top-notch also offer an auto warranty through the parts suppliers. Finally, independent shops tend to offer better prices than dealerships.
Dealerships and independent repair shops both have advantages to consider. It is important for consumers to find a repair facility that they feel comfortable with. And always make sure that you purchase an auto warranty to cut down on unnecessary repair expenses.
Como ya dijimos en su día con motivo del lanzamiento de la nueva serie especial del Jeep Wrangel, la Rubicon Trail es la pista legendaria de los Estados Unidos, donde todo modelo que aspire a ser una referencia en los 4×4 para el mercado norteamericano deberá pasarla sobradamente para demostrar que no es cualquier todocamino todoterreno 4×4.
Y Toyota, como está dispuesta a demostrarle a los yankis que su Fj Cruiser es mucho mejor que los Hummers y Jeeps fabricados por estos, no podía dejar pasar la ocasión de preparar una intensa jornada por la Rubicon Trail en la que su 4×4 se merienda unas raciones de rocas, ríos y exageradas pendientes. Toda ella superada sin ninguna modificación mecánica ni en protecciones más que las que lleva de serie.
Atención en el vídeo al momento de atranque a la salida del río (min. 1:25), y es que esos neumáticos de serie no llegan a ser lo suficientemente eficaces en algunas situaciones extremas:
Este paseo por la Rubicon Trail se enmarca dentro de las rutas que realiza la marca por diferentes puntos de la geografía de los Estados Unidos dentro de su programa Trail Team; que ya cuenta con su serie especial del FJ Cruiser.
Proton Vendors Association President Dr Wan Mohamed has spoken in defense of allegations that automotive parts sourced from Malaysia can be up to 50% more than those made in Japan. He says that these studies comparing parts prices have questionable materials and methods and even then, they only reveal parts prices between 5% to 15% higher than those in Japan, and in selected sub-sectors only.
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