KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is requesting the government to consider allowing the automotive sector to resume operations, especially in the Klang Valley, which is currently under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
Managing director Erik Winter said VCPM’s supply chain is heavily impacted by the different phases of MCO and containment measures, placing the company and the automotive industry as a whole in a difficult situation.
“We have dealer partners that are slowly moving into phase two of the National Recovery Programme but our business is not only our business, it also involves our dealer partners and our factories.
“The whole supply chain is heavily impacted by the current pandemic,” he told reporters after the virtual launch of VCPM’s flagship model, the new Arteon R-Line 4MOTION today.
Winter noted that it would be difficult to quantify the pandemic’s impact on VCPM for the rest of the year as the company was also impacted by chip shortages.
“However, we have rolled out initiatives to allow our units to conduct business online, so the business continues in these challenging times,” he said.
On Arteon R-Line 4MOTION, Winter said he is confident that the model would become a best seller due to its unique attributes.
“It is currently offered with sales tax exemption, so I am confident that the new Arteon R-Line 4MOTION will be a best-seller because there isn’t anything like it in the market,” he added.
Priced at RM248,692.67 (on-the-road, excluding insurance), the Arteon R-Line 4MOTION is equipped with TSI turbocharged engine, paired with a seven-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox, enabling it to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) in just 5.6 seconds.
Its fuel efficiency is approximately 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres.
