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TNB: ST’s AFA rate for Jan 2026 set at -4.99 sen/kWh

In Local News / by Jonathan James Tan / 26 December 2025 4:20 pm
TNB Automatic Fuel Adjustment rate for January 2026; click to enlarge

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has stated that the Automatic Fuel Adjustment (AFA) rate for the month of January 2026 is -4.99 sen/kWh from -6.42 sen/kWh in December 2025. The AFA, which is set by the Energy Commission (ST), replaces the previous Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) and is automatically calculated as either a surcharge or discount of up to 3 sen/kWh depending on fuel prices – this is revised monthly, with any larger changes (beyond 3 sen) requiring cabinet approval.

Introduced as part of TNB’s Electricity Tariff Restructuring that took effect from July 1, 2025, the AFA is one of five components or “charges” used to calculate your electricity bill. Here’s the overview:
- Generation charge: 27.03 sen/kWh for total consumption of 1,500 kWh and below per month or 37.03 sen/kWh for total consumption more than 1,500 kWh per month. This covers the actual cost of generating electricity from power plants.
- Capacity charge: 4.55 sen/kWh. This covers the cost of maintaining sufficient electricity supply capacity.
- Network charge: 12.85 sen/kWh. This covers the cost of operating and maintaining the grid and the local network to deliver electricity.
- Retail charge: RM10/month; waived for total consumption of 600 kWh and below a month. This is a fixed cost for metering, billing and customer service.
- AFA rate: -4.99 sen for the month of January 2026; waived for total consumption of 600 kWh and below a month.
You can use our TNB Bill Calculator tool to get a rough estimate on how much your electricity bill will be for the month. Essentially, if you use over 1,500 kWh a month, you add the generation, capacity and network charges (totalling 54.43 sen/kWh) to retail charge (RM10) and the AFA rate (-4.99 sen/kWh discount for January 2026).

Alternatively, if your usage is below 1,500 kWh a month, it’s 44.43 sen/kWh plus the retail charge and AFA rate. For total consumption of 600 kWh and below a month, it would only be 44.43 sen/kWh – retail and AFA charges are waived.

TNB Time of Use scheme tariff rate and off-peak discount; click to enlarge

Here’s a list of the monthly AFA rates so far:
- July 2025: 0.00 sen/kWh
- August 2025: -1.45 sen/kWh
- September 2025: -1.10 sen/kWh
- October 2025: -6.50 sen/kWh
- November 2025: -8.91 sen/kWh
- December 2025: -6.42 sen/kWh
- January 2026: -4.99 sen/kWh
Domestic consumers who use less than 1,000 kWh a month can enjoy a discount called ‘Insentif Cekap Tenaga’ or ‘Energy Efficiency Incentive’. The discount provided is relative to consumption (the more the usage, the lesser the incentive), with the maximum discount being 25 sen/kWh.

Domestic users that have smart meters also have option to enter the Time of Use (ToU) scheme, allowing them to change their electricity usage pattern and take advantage of lower tariff rate during off-peak hours to enjoy savings on their monthly bill.

The scheme has two time zones, with off-peak timings being from 10pm to 2pm from Monday to Friday and throughout the day (24 hours) for weekends. Peak hours are from 2pm to 10pm on weekdays. Here are the energy charges under this scheme:

For usage of 1,500 kWh and below per month
- Peak tariff: 28.52 sen per kWh
- Off-peak tariff: 24.43 sen per kWh
For usage above 1,500 kWh per month
- Peak tariff: 38.52 sen per kWh
- Off-peak tariff: 34.43 sen per kWh
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Carro Car-nival Promo this weekend – up to RM6,000 off, extended warranty, free service petrol, dashcam

ADVERTORIAL / by Harvinder Sidhu / 26 December 2025 4:19 pm
With only a few days more until we welcome 2026 on our calendars, it’s still not too late to enjoy year end deals! Drop by any Carro retail outlet and browse a selection of quality pre-owned cars to enjoy the Carro Car-nival Promo this weekend.

Carro Certified pre-owned cars are going for up to RM6,000 off and special for this weekend, you also get to enjoy the following deals:
- Extended Warranty (+1 Year)
- Car Service (1 Year)
- Petrol Card (RM100)
- Dash Cam (RM100)
All the above are available on top of any existing offers currently available.

Remember, Carro pricing is all-in and includes no hidden fees! No extra fees if you are a loan buyer, no extra processing fees, no extra inspection fees. Everything is in the listed price, so beware of other car classifieds listings that advertise a cheaper price then hit you with all kinds of surcharges.

Carro Certified benefits:

– 160 point inspection
– 5 day money back guarantee
– 12 month warranty for engine and gearbox
– no mileage tampering
– no major accidents, fire and flood damage

The inventory list below will show in real time the remaining inventory that’s still available for booking, or browse the Carro website for a full list of what’s on sale.

Click here to view the full inventory list.

2026 EZI TS1 e-scooter in Malaysia, priced at RM4,288

In Bikes, Electric motorcycles / by Mohan K Ramanujam / 26 December 2025 4:10 pm

Entering the Malaysian electric scooter (e-scooter) market is the 2026 EZI TS1, priced at RM4,288. EZI is a Keeway brand, and is marketed and distributed in Malaysia by MForce Bike Holdings, with availability at all MForce authorised dealers throughout Malaysia.

Pricing for the TS1 does not include registration and insurance, and a two-year or 20,000 km warranty is provided against manufacturing defects. There are three colour options for the TS1 – Blue, Orange and White.

The TS1 is powered by a 2 kW rear wheel hub-mounted electric motor, giving a maximum speed of approximately 65 km/h/ Power is stored in a 72-volt, 32 Ah battery, allowing the TS1 a travel range of 100 km, with a charging time from zero to 100% in eight hours and 30 minutes.

Primarily intended as an urban e-scooter, the TS1 is fitted with hydraulic disc brakes front and rear, with a Combined Braking System (CBS) that apportions braking force between front and rear wheels. Wheel sizing is 12-inches front and rear, shod with 90/90 front and 100/80 rear tyres.

Riding conveniences on the TS1 include two front cowl pockets for storing miscellaneous items, a storage space under the seat and three riding modes. There is also cruise control, and a Walk Assist Function available in E Mode, enhancing ease of use in tight or low-speed situations.

Riding information is shown on a seven-inch LED display, and there is a USB Type-A charging port with LED illumination for charging the rider’s electronics, as well as an advanced NFC-enabled keyless entry system while full LED lighting is used throughout. Weight for the TS1 is listed at 82 kg without the battery, while seat height is set at 755 mm.

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Lexus RZ600e F Sport Performance – based on 550e F Sport but with 426 PS; 20 mm lower, 20-inch brakes

In Cars, International News, Lexus / by Jonathan James Tan / 26 December 2025 4:07 pm

This is the Lexus RZ600e F Sport Performance, a special edition based on the RZ550e F Sport that’s priced around 12 million yen (RM310k). The EV gets more muscle, better aerodynamics and larger brakes – it should be a real hoot to drive.

Although the front and rear motor outputs are exactly the same as the RZ550e F Sport (227 PS/268 Nm each), as is the 4.4-second 0-100 km/h time, this thing’s combined output is higher (426 versus 408 PS) via “reassessing battery output limits”.

It also sits 20 mm lower than the RZ550e F Sport, and more stopping power comes from massive 20-inch brake discs, which hide behind 21-inch matte black Enkei alloys and are clamped by front-opposed six-piston aluminum monoblock blue callipers.

The RZ600e F Sport Performance inherits the RZ550e F Sport’s 77 kWh battery, steer-by-wire and Interactive Manual Drive (mimics an eight-speed auto, comes with shift paddles and simulated engine sounds) – click on the respective links to learn more about those systems.

It definitely looks more garang – carbon-finished are the bonnet, headlamp bezels, roof, wings (it has two! Then again, the 2024 RZ450e F Sport Performance also had two), turning vanes and lower door mouldings. A bodykit and wheelarch extensions complete the hairy-chested look, and you can have yours in black and Neutrino Gray, or black and Hakugin II (read: blue and white).

Inside, the special edition gets F Sport Performance Ultrasuede 2 sport seats – these are in black with blue stitching and feature driver memory and front seat ventilation. The rotary gear selector features black and blue accents, the trim piece that spans the full width of the dashboard is in blue and the front cupholders are finished in black hazel. The door cards are also in Ultrasuede 2.

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CKD car prices not going up until July 2026 – OMV/402 excise duty revision deferred again by another 6 mths

In Local News / by Anthony Lim / 26 December 2025 1:53 pm

Well, here we go again. The finance ministry has announced that the implementation of the open market value (OMV) excise duty revision, or the PU(A) 402/2019-Excise Tax Regulations (Determination of Value of Locally Produced Goods for Excise Tax Purposes), which was supposed to begin in January 2026, has been deferred once more, this time being pushed back by six months.

As sighted in a letter that was sent by the MoF on December 23 to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), the ministry said that the implementation of the OMV will now be deferred until June 30, 2026, and as such, there will be no additional excise duty imposed on the cost of sale, general expenses and administration as well as profit of CKD vehicles until then.

A recap on OMV/402

As reported previously, the OMV/402’s introduction has implications on the pricing of locally-assembled CKD cars and motorcycles. Gazetted on the last day of 2019, the revision stipulates a new methodology of calculating a CKD vehicle’s OMV, which influences how much tax is to be paid and therefore, its selling price.

The OMV is defined as the final market value of a CKD vehicle ex-factory, before the government imposes excise duties on it, and is primarily made up of the cost of the CKD pack, cost of manufacturing and components as well as assembly and administration charges.

The revision seeks to introduce additional calculations to the equation, expanding excise duties to include non-manufacturing costs such as the sale aspect of a vehicle as well as associated elements such as marketing, administrative expenses and profit. Doing so will naturally increase the price of a CKD vehicle in the process.

The effects of OMV/402 have never been felt by buyers, as it has been deferred since it was first gazetted. The regulations were supposed to have come into force in 2020, but 22 days into that pandemic year, MAA announced that the finance ministry had deferred implementation to 2021.

By end-2020, it was deferred again, and MAA’s appeal to the government in 2022 for a continued deferment was successful, with a two-year postponement granted until December 31, 2024, and finally, once again to December 31 this year, prior to the latest extension until June next year.

Kicking the can down the road

No reasons were given as to why the revision has been extended once more, but it could well be that the mechanism (or its elements) has still not been finalised, and would not be by the January deadline.

As of mid-December, the MAA said that the government was still in the process of finalising the mechanism, with MAA president Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain telling paultan.org that the ministry had indicated the mechanism would incorporate a new method that will minimise its impact, with “very little or no impact to pricing.” It was previously estimated that CKD prices would potentially increase by at least 10% as a result of the revision.

As we’ve said previously, all the uncertainty isn’t good for a company’s planning, forecasting and operations. Without clarity, this doesn’t just affect existing players, but future investments as well. After all, no one wants to invest in local production and ‘live on the edge’ every December (or as it turns out, six months now) hoping for the best.

If prices of CKD vehicles do go up by more than a fair bit, the question must be, why bother with the hassle of local production, because it would be easier to bring in CBU imports. We’ve stated before that while the government would collect more taxes with the revised OMV in the short term, it would likely come at the cost of sales volume and, down the line, production and eventually, job opportunities for Malaysians.

Still, given what has been indicated to it, the MAA believes that the revision will not have an adverse effect on CKD production, with Shamsor saying that there will be very little impact on this as well as on sales. “The government has been promoting local production and is also always looking out for local investment, so they are not going to create something that will hamper the business,” he said earlier this month.

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Past saman reappearing on JPJ system? Department is carrying out system upgrades, database updates

In Local News / by Jonathan James Tan / 26 December 2025 1:53 pm

The road transport department (JPJ) has seen fit to respond to a viral issue concerning old or past saman re-appearing on the department’s system.

JPJ has said on Facebook that it is currently implementing system upgrades and database updates to improve service efficiency and accuracy of its records. Purported re-appearances of past saman, or those that have been settled/resolved, may happen due to data synchronisation processes, re-enforcement or the existence of a record that has not been officially closed following procedure.

JPJ says each saman record is subject to continuous system reviews and internal audits, and urges the public not to spread nor be influenced by misinformation.

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Hongqi coming to Singapore via Eurokars Group – E-HS9 to debut at Singapore Motorshow 2026 in January

In Cars, FAW, International News / by Jonathan James Tan / 26 December 2025 12:26 pm

Yup, Chinese luxury car brand Hongqi is officially coming to Singapore via Eurokars Group subsidiary Eurokars Elite (agreement signed in June), and the E-HS9, which will be the debutante, will be shown at the Singapore Motorshow 2026 from January 8 to 11.

Singapore could become Hongqi’s first right-hand drive ASEAN market, if Indonesia’s Indomobil Group doesn’t launch first. The brand is already in Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines – all of which drive on the other side.

The imposing Range Rover-sized leviathan that is the E-HS9 is set to be launched in the island nation in 2026, with a showroom is at 19 Leng Kee Road. According to Singapore’s Straits Times, an electric sedan and two mid-sized SUVs are planned next, and Hongqi won’t limit itself to EVs in the republic.

The E-HS9 is 5,209 mm long, 2,010 mm wide and 1,731 mm tall, with a 3,110 mm wheelbase. It’s a two-motor EV that can be had with up to seven seats. The front motor is always a 218 PS/300 Nm unit, but the rear motor can be either a 218 PS/300 Nm or a 333 PS/450 Nm one.

Globally, battery options are 84, 99 and 120 kWh, yielding WLTP ranges between 380 and 515 km. Wheels are either 21 or 22 inches. There are versions with air suspension, matrix LED headlamps, up to 16 speakers, up to eight airbags including rear side airbags, and intelligent dampers. Full ADAS is standard, of course.

The Hongqi Guoli (née L5) recently became the single most expensive Chinese export at RMB11 million (RM6.3 million) – and it was a used unit! Closer to home, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, took delivery of his L5 last year, becoming the world’s first owner.

EU-spec Hongqi E-HS9

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Johor police issue 4,433 saman in first two days of its Ops Lancar Christmas and New Year’s Eve operations

In Local News / by Anthony Lim / 26 December 2025 10:21 am

Over in Johor, PDRM announced that it issued 4,433 traffic summonses in the first two days of its Ops Lancar traffic operations, which began on Tuesday. The operation, which will run until January 1, is being carried out in conjunction with the Christmas and new year’s eve festive period.

State police chief CP Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the main focus of the operation is on accident prevention, curbing street crime and maintaining public order amid heavy traffic during the festive season and school holidays as well as from increased tourist arrivals.

“Most of the summonses involved offences such as vehicle modifications, missing or altered registration plates, driving without a licence and lack of insurance coverage,” he said. The operation, which will continue until January 1, involves 1,681 personnel from various departments deployed statewide. focusing on key locations with high traffic volumes, Bernama reports.

In a special motorcycle operation conducted in Iskandar Puteri on Christmas eve, police stopped and inspected 52 motorcycles, issued 143 summonses for various offences and seized all the vehicles under Section 64 of the Road Transport Act, holding them until the offences are rectified.

The department of environment also issued 14 notices for emission and noise-related offences, while the road transport department (JPJ) issued 32 summonses for various offences, including vehicle modifications and irregularities in registration plates.

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Proton eMas 7 Android Auto arrives – OTA update also brings screen brightness adjustment, enhanced BM

In Cars, Electric Cars in Malaysia, Local News, Proton, Videos / by Jonathan James Tan / 26 December 2025 10:21 am

Based on information posted on the Proton eMas 7 Community Malaysia Facebook group, it looks like the over-the-air (OTA) update that brings Android Auto has finally arrived for the Proton eMas 7, just in time as promised earlier this year. The above photo was posted by user ExcellentFox8322, who says the OTA will be rolled out in batches.

Besides Android Auto, this OTA (version 1.2.0) also brings screen brightness adjustment, enhanced Bahasa Melayu optimisation and “additional system optimisations” – according to ExcellentFox8322, there is now a sound when you change driving modes, so this could be one of the improvements.

Proton’s first EV model got Apple CarPlay via OTA in August. This same OTA also brought alternatives (‘Galactic Note’ and ‘Space Walk’) to the ‘ice cream truck‘ low-speed pedestrian warning sound.

2025 Proton eMas 7 with free tonneau cover

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Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, iCaur V23 secure 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating under outgoing 2021-2025 protocol

In Cars, Chery, Electric Cars in Malaysia, iCaur, Local News, Videos / by Jonathan James Tan / 24 December 2025 6:29 pm

The Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV and iCaur V23, two SUVs under the Chery Group umbrella that were launched in Malaysia in October and November respectively, have both secured a full five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating. Both were crash-tested at the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI) in Chongqing last month.

The Tiggo 7 PHEV achieved the full 40 points for adults, 17.18 out of 20 for children, the full 20 points for safety assist and 17.5 out of 20 for motorcyclists, resulting in a 94.68-point total score, while the iCaur V23 managed 39.71 out of 40 points for adults, 16.67 out of 20 for children, 17.14 out of 20 for safety assist and 17.5 out of 20 for motorcyclists, yielding a 91.02-point total score.

Standard on both SUVs are seatbelt reminders for all seats, rear seat occupant detection, both city and inter-urban AEB, blind spot detection, auto high beam, ISOFIX and child presence detection, in addition to a host of lane-related functions. The Tiggo 7 PHEV has eight airbags including a knee and centre airbag, while the V23 has six.

Are these the last vehicles to be tested under the outgoing 2021-2025 protocol? Assessment under the 2026–2030 protocol starts January – an expanded emphasis on ADAS is expected.

Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV full ASEAN NCAP report

iCaur V23 full ASEAN NCAP report

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Malaysian fuel prices December 25-31, 2025 – all down; RON95 to RM2.56; RON97 to RM3.16; diesel to RM2.94

In Local News, Malaysian Fuel Prices / by Anthony Lim / 24 December 2025 5:29 pm

Another Wednesday, and so it’s time again for the usual weekly fuel price update, with the ministry of finance announcing the retail prices of fuels for the coming week of December 25 to 31, 2025. The week sees yet more relief for users, with prices reduced for RON 97 and unsubsidised RON 95 as well as for diesel.

Unsubsidised RON 95 petrol drops to RM2.56 per litre, six sen down from the RM2.62 per litre price it was at last week. As for RON 97, the premium grade of petrol drops by eight sen per litre to RM3.16 per litre (RM3.24 per litre last week).

Of course, RON 95 petrol subsidised under the Budi Madani RON 95 (Budi95) scheme continues unchanged at RM1.99 per litre. Malaysians with a valid driving licence are eligible for the fuel at a monthly quota of 300 litres.

Good news also for diesel users, with the price of the fuel dropping eight sen per litre to RM2.94 per litre for the Euro 5 B10 and B20 blends. As such, the Euro 5 B7 blend, which costs 20 sen more per litre, goes for RM3.14 per litre. The retail price of diesel fuels in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan stays unchanged at RM2.15 per litre.

These prices take effect from midnight tonight until Wednesday, December 31, 2025, when the next set of fuel price updates are announced. This is the 52nd and final edition of the weekly fuel pricing format for this year, and the 363rd in total since the format was introduced at the start of 2019.

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Geely EX2 priced at RM56k-66k in Indonesia – cheaper than Malaysia’s Proton eMas 5, bigger battery standard

In Cars, Geely, International News / by Jonathan James Tan / 24 December 2025 3:59 pm

Here we go again. After getting priced at the equivalent of RM51k-55k in Thailand, and therefore cheaper than our RM57k-70k Proton eMas 5, the Geely EX2’s Indonesian prices are out, and they’re 233-273 million rupiah (RM56k-66k) for Pro and Max variants.

Before you get your pitchforks out, consider that just like Thailand, Indonesia’s entry-level EV market is crowded, competitive and cut-throat. Wuling, having been there for over eight years, is the top EV brand, with many small and affordable choices, so the Geely EX2 needs to be priced aggressively to compete.

Like in Thailand, both Pro and Max variants in Indonesia get a 116 PS/150 Nm rear electric motor (the more powerful one used by our eMas 5 Premium). There’s no lesser option like our eMas 5 Prime’s 79 PS/130 Nm unit. And we have an official 0-100 km/h time – it’s 11.5 seconds.

Ditto the battery – there’s only one 40.8 kWh choice, which means the bigger battery is standard. This yields a 395 km NEDC range (compared to the eMas 5’s 225/325 km WLTP from 30.12/40.16 kWh batteries).

Equipment-wise, the EX2 in Indonesia offers a powered driver’s seat on the Max variant (which no eMas 5 variant has), and the base EX2 Pro already gets automatic LED projector headlamps (which we need to buy the eMas 5 Premium to enjoy; our eMas 5 Prime only has halogens).

However, the Proton fights back with a powered tailgate, which is not available in Indonesia, and six airbags across the range (the Indonesian EX2 Pro has just four airbags; only the EX2 Max has six. Thailand, like us, has six airbags across the range). Also, while the EX2 Max and eMas 5 Premium both have the full ADAS suite including AEB and ACC, the Indonesian EX2 Pro does without the eMas 5 Prime’s blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning and door opening warning.

Indonesian Geely EX2 brochure – click to enlarge

Just like in Thailand, the Indonesian-spec EX2’s passenger-side dashboard and door cards have a cityscape ambient lighting motif instead of the shooting stars on the eMas 5.

On to colours – the Indonesian car can be had in Nebula Beige, Comet Grey, Star Silver and Moon White (the top-spec Max additionally gets Aurora Pink and Stellar Blue choices). As for the interior, the Max’s is either Dark Grey or Ivory White; the Pro only gets the former.

Meanwhile, our eMas 5 can be had in Moonstone White, Graphite Silver and Slate Grey (the top-spec Premium additionally gets Marble Cream and Quartz Rose choices; all Premium cars have black roofs). If the exterior is Marble Cream or Quartz Rose, the interior is Alabaster White; otherwise, it’s Flint Grey. An updated model is already in the oven – see what you can expect here.

Geely EX2 in Thailand

Proton eMas 5 Premium in Malaysia

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Lotus Cars Malaysia closes Bukit Jelutong facility, moves after-sales services to Glenmarie flagship store

In Cars, Local News, Lotus / by Anthony Lim / 24 December 2025 3:06 pm

Lotus Cars Malaysia has announced that it has closed its Lotus Cars Bukit Jelutong facility at Jln Astaka U8/84A, and has moved its after-sales services to Lotus Cars Kuala Lumpur, which is located in Glenmarie, at Jalan Juruhebah U1/50, Temasya Industrial Park.

The Lotus Cars Kuala Lumpur outlet is the company’s flagship store in the country. Occupying a floor space of 1,765 sq metres, the facility boasts two delivery bays, a customer lounge, a dedicated merchandising area and a configurator room for prospective buyers to customise nearly every aspect of their own Lotus.

Besides the Glenmarie outlet, the brand has a Lotus Store in Pavilion Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur as well as a Lotus Store in Penang.

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2025/2026 KTM 390 Adventure R, Adventure X, Enduro R and SMC R – side stand replacement recall

In Bikes, International Bike News, KTM / by Mohan K Ramanujam / 24 December 2025 2:33 pm

A recall notice has been issued for the 2025 and 2026 KTM 390 models – the Adventure R, Adventure X, Enduro R and SMC. Quality inspection found engine vibrations may cause the side stand spring to break.

The issue is confined to forged alloy side stands and does not affect other side stand types. KTM is issuing the recall as a preventive action to eliminate any potential risk and uphold the highest standards of performance and safety, with a few cases being identified.

Customers should have their side stand spring replaced and a rubber protection fitted by an authorised KTM dealer. I the case of customers currently suffering a broken side stand spring, KTM recommends securing the side stand temporarily with a rubber band or similar, and riding safely to their KTM dealer.

Certain models of the KTM 390 will also have a new side stand sensor retaining plate installed during the workshop visit. This adjusts the trigger range of the side stand switch, and KTM dealers will inform customers if their specific KTM 390 requires the fix.

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2026 Nissan Almera surfaces – new face, new tail, split headlamps, same side profile, more ADAS features?

In Cars, International News, Nissan / by Jonathan James Tan / 24 December 2025 1:00 pm

These photos of the new 2026 Nissan Versa – known to you and I as the Nissan Almera – have been posted by Carscoops from various Mexico-based Facebook groups – the car was apparently undergoing promotional shooting there. It’s likely to first go on sale in Latin America.

Striking-looking, isn’t it? Split headlamps (LED DRLs above, headlamps below) are all the rage these days, and this has, IMHO, led to a much cleaner face than the busy one before this. The slim DRLs are bridged by a gloss black strip on which sits the Nissan roundel. The grille is not only full-width but slightly wrap-around, incorporating the headlamps and indicators. The lower intake is just as neat, with subtle chrome embellishments. Nice directional alloys, too!

On to the design of the back, which I find slightly less successful. No end-to-end tail lamps; they’re joined by a thick gloss black bar on which the Versa script sits. It looks like only the inner halves of the tail lamps (the parts on the boot lid) are new; the outer halves appear to be of the same shape as before. But the internal graphics are totally new, including a warm-glow underline signature. The number plate is now on the rear bumper, which somehow gives off BMW M vibes – or is it just me?

Now for the controversial question – is this considered a second facelift or a new generation? You’ll notice we’re not even putting the word ‘all’ in front of ‘new’ because the side profile is clearly the same as before (we’ve been down this road recently with another budget sedan in Malaysia?), down to that distinctive C-pillar kink. It therefore wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the same Nissan V platform, although we wouldn’t rule out some refinements and improvements.

The Versa in the US has a 124 PS/154 Nm HR16DE non-turbo 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine. This is likely to continue its duties, but this time it should be connected only to a CVT, as the manual (America’s last five-speed manual) was dropped earlier this year. ASEAN, Malaysia included, uses a 100 PS/152 Nm 1.0 litre turbo three-cylinder engine and a CVT (the Philippines also has a manual option).

We don’t know what the new interior looks like yet, but reports speculate a refreshed layout, a digital instrument panel, updated infotainment and more ADAS features. Malaysia hasn’t even gotten the first facelift yet (sounds familiar?). The refreshed fourth-gen N18 debuted in the US in October 2022, Thailand in May 2023 and the Philippines in July 2023, so to say we’re a bit behind would be a gross understatement.

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