Ford Ranger Raptor Rev 2025 – Malaysia’s first premier off-road event at Bay 13, SIC thrills attendees - Related to 2025, raptor, mercedes-maybach, bringing, 13,

Ford Ranger Raptor Rev 2025 – Malaysia’s first premier off-road event at Bay 13, SIC thrills attendees

Last weekend, around 80 Ford Ranger Raptor owners had the chance to put their performance pick-up through the paces at the inaugural Ford Raptor Rev off-road event at Sepang Circuit. Organised by Sime Darby Auto ConneXion-Ford (Auto ConneXion), the two-day programme – which ran on February 22 and 23 – was designed to enthrall Ranger Raptor owners and enthusiasts with an unforgettable off-road experience.

The premier off-road event, which took place at Bay 13, a purpose-built off-road park that capabilities jumps, a water crossing, elephant steps, a side slope, a slow off-road trail and a fast rally trail, saw participants taking their Raptors over the new course through a series of guided sessions covering elements such as off-road jumping and drifting and various 4×4 obstacle trails.

Attendees also had the chance to experience the Raptor’s Baja-level capabilities in greater detail through hot laps on a specially-prepared Baja course, with professional drivers behind the wheel.

Asided from these off-road activities, there was also a technical workshop, where Ford expert Chris Dean from Australia offered owners an insight on the Ranger Raptor’s FOX suspension system, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of how the Baja-inspired suspension is designed to excel in off-road environments, particularly in high-speed rugged conditions.

Additionally, BFGoodrich, the main partner of the Raptor Rev event, held tyre-focused workshops and offered attendees the chance to explore the brand’s newly launched KO3 tyres, which have been designed for unmatched durability and off-road performance.

Elsewhere, the event featured food trucks, live performances and . Participants were also able to catch up with four popular personalities, namely actor and motor enthusiast Ezzrin Loy, footballer and 4×4 enthusiast Intan Serah, ex-national bowler Syaidatul Afifah and professional drifter Hee Wei Seng, at the event.

“We are proud to have brought together the Ranger Raptor community for this unique off-road experience. The Raptor Rev is a celebration of what makes the Ranger Raptor extraordinary. The event is a great platform for owners and enthusiasts alike to witness the Raptor’s extraordinary capabilities in a thrilling, hands-on environment,” unveiled Auto ConneXion MD Turse Zuhair.

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Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV launched in Malaysia, 658 PS, 950 Nm, First Class Rear, from RM1.1 million

The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV has been officially launched in Malaysia, two years after the uber-luxury high-rider was first shown to the world. It’s priced from RM1,088,888, on-the-road before insurance in Peninsular Malaysia, and including 10% sales tax.

Maybach’s first EV comes in a sole two-motor, all-wheel drive EQS 680 variant, with a total of 658 PS and 950 Nm of torque, plus a 396-volt electrical system. Charge it at the max 22 kW AC and you’ll go from empty to full in six hours 15 minutes; plug in at a max 200 kW DC for 10%-80% SoC in 31 minutes.

A 118 kWh (useable) battery yields a 560-608 km WLTP range, with an energy consumption between [website] and [website] kWh/100 km touted. You’ll hit 100 km/h from rest in [website] seconds and top out at 210 km/h.

The EQS SUV is 5,125 mm long, 2,034 mm wide and 1,721 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3,210 mm. In comparison, its combustion-engined sibling, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4Matic is 5,207 mm long, 1,956 mm wide and 1,850 mm tall, with 3,135 mm between the front and rear axles.

It looks the part as a Maybach – the black (closed) fascia with chrome-plated vertical trim strips, and the full-width front light bar bridging the Digital Light headlamps (these do a light show as you approach/exit the vehicle). All doors, which are all powered, have an animated projection of the Maybach graphic.

Along the side you can see the two-tone colour scheme with a hand-painted pinstripe – a Maybach hallmark. The A-pillar holds an ‘EQS’ badge; the D-pillar the Maybach emblem. Those are 21-inch forged alloys.

Like up front, the rear also attributes full-width lighting, and it’s animated across its width. There’s chrome trim on the tailgate, rear apron and lip spoiler.

The Maybach EQS SUV gets Airmatic air suspension with continuously adjustable damping as standard, and this can raise the vehicle by 25 mm further off the ground for increased ground clearance. Rear-axle steering enables the rear wheels to be steered by up to 10 degrees, reducing the turning circle by almost two metres.

The Maybach mode is the default drive mode, and ensures that body movements as experienced from the rear seats are kept to a minimum, with an oscillation node located beneath the rear seats to ensure amplitudes are at their lowest, and thus offer the best possible passenger comfort.

Inside, the MBUX Hyperscreen has Maybach-specific start-up animations on all three displays. The central display begins with the home screen and the so-called ‘zero layer’, where the navigation map display is emphasised. The driver can carry out 80% commonly used interactions directly without leaving the home screen, and this can be personalised with suggestions by the system.

Each of the rear passengers get an [website] display mounted to the front seat backrests. The standard-fit MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment setup also enables rear-seat occupants to choose and modify the vehicle’s navigation destination from the rear seats.

Standard equipment also includes the MBUX rear tablet which can be used outside the vehicle, and cameras help the system recognise body and hand gestures to call upon selected functions, such as switching on the reading lights.

Upholstery is Maybach (optionally, macchiato beige and bronze brown pearl, or Manufaktur ). There’s Manufaktur brown open-pore walnut wood trim, paired with the centre console in Manufaktur open-pore brown walnut wood – Manufaktur brown open-pore birch wood and Manufaktur piano lacquer black flowing lines are options.

Rear occupants sit on Executive seats which are equipped with ventilation and massage functions along with neck and shoulder heating, plus calf massage. The Chauffeur Package automatically moves the front seat forward when the passenger-side rear occupant reclines their seat.

The First Class Rear specification brings a centre console that continues from the front and runs between the rear seats, with equipment following those in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class such as thermal cupholders and a shelf for the MBUX rear seat tablet.

Also on are four fast-charging USB-C ports, two HDMI interfaces and two folding tables. On request, the centre console can include a fridge with space for champagne bottles and bespoke flute holders.

Ambient lighting in the Maybach EQS SUV runs the length of the cabin, while a range of lighting options ranging from work applications to relaxing lounge ambience are available. Light colour settings vary automatically , but can also be manually adjusted.

For air quality and scents, the HEPA filter equipped air-conditioning system can be pre-conditioned to clean the air before occupants board, and if the quality of the outside air is low, the system can also make recommendations to close the side windows or sunroof. Here, the Maybach EQS SUV also gets its own fragrance for the standard Air Balance Package, dubbed No 12 Mood Ebony.

Music is piped through 15 Burmester 4D surround speakers. A Maybach-specific driving sound has been designed for the Maybach EQS SUV; named Aerial Grace, this is interactive and reacts to different parameters including accelerator pedal position, speed and energy recuperation.

As with recent Maybach models, the Dynamic Select range of driving modes in the Maybach EQS SUV brings the Maybach drive mode that replaces the Comfort mode in other Mercedes-Benz models; this is joined by the usual selection of Eco, Sport, Offroad and Individual.

Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV official Malaysian launch photos.

Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV with Night Series package.

Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV and Night Series, side-by-side.

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Mercedes-AMG bringing V8s back to the C-Class – report

Mercedes-Benz looks set to backflip on its controversial decision to offer the Mercedes-AMG C63 exclusively with a downsized four-cylinder plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain after all.

Earlier this week the German carmaker mentioned it remained committed to V8 and V12 engines, after confirming it’s developing a “next-generation, high-tech electrified V8”, and now Autocar reports the all-new mild-hybrid petrol V8 will debut in the upcoming CLE63 later this year.

In the investigation, well-connected Stuttgart-based Australian journalist Greg Kable also cited data within Mercedes-Benz as confirming that following the CLE63, the new V8 will be rolled out to other models – including a revised C63 due in 2026.

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This would mark a major about-face for Mercedes-AMG’s plug-in hybrid push, which started with the C63 but was met with a fierce backlash from fans and end-customers alike, leading to a large plunge in sales for one of AMG’s best-selling and most iconic models.

Mercedes-AMG lately admitted it lost individuals in the C63’s shift to [website] hybrid power, and now after German data described as “nonsense” a 2023 US study that claimed AMG would reverse its unsuccessful powertrain downsizing strategy, it seems that’s exactly what will happen.

Mercedes-AMG this week confirmed it will introduce a “heavily refreshed” model lineup from 2026, and the 2025 CLE63’s new mild-hybrid V8 powertrain is expected to be heavily based on its existing twin-turbocharged M177 [website] V8.

The [website] V8 has powered a range of AMG models and forms the basis of the PHEV systems in the in the recent past launched GT coupe and sedan, but it was dropped in favour of four-cylinder PHEV power in both the C63 and GLC63, while the next-generation E63 was rumoured to be moving to a six-cylinder powertrain.

However, , AMG’s new V8 will be fundamentally different to the engine it replaces, by abandoning its traditional cross-plane crankshaft in favour of a flat-plane design.

Flat-plane cranks have been employed by a range of performance cars, including the M178 LS2 engine in AMG’s own GT Black Series in 2021.

Apart from supporting a higher redline and improved throttle response, flat-plane cranks also allow a more compact crankcase design and this will reportedly enable AMG to package the new engine into models not originally engineered for a V8, including the fifth-generation C-Class.

Top-shelf AMG versions of the new V8 will reportedly be equipped with a mild-hybrid system comprising an integrated starter-motor within the transmission, boosting both efficiency and power.

The only downside could be the higher-pitched sound associated with flat-plane crank V8s, which will be a departure from the bellowing exhaust note for which AMG models are famous.

However, it will likely be a vast improvement on the current C63’s [website] PHEV system, and Autocar says AMG plans to provide its future models with an artificial sound generator to simulate the burbling soundtrack of its most celebrated models.

The new V8 powertrain will likely also be lighter than the C63’s existing PHEV system, which brings total weight to a hefty 2165kg – 400kg more than its predecessor – including 89kg for the [website] lithium-ion battery pack that powers a rear-mounted electric motor, providing all-wheel drive.

But while the 2026 C63 should be more dynamic, it’s unlikely to out-muscle the current Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, which produces a mammoth 500kW of power and 1020Nm of torque – up from 375kW/750Nm with the previous-generation C63’s twin-turbo V8.

Whether the mild-hybrid V8 becomes available alongside or instead of the four-cylinder PHEV system in the C63 remains to be seen, and how this and similar moves will affect Mercedes-Benz’s electrification targets is also unclear at this stage.

The three-pointed star brand softened its electric vehicle (EV) goals early in 2024, when it mentioned it would delay its target for EVs to account for 50 per cent of its global vehicle sales from 2025 to 2030, and now it includes plug-in hybrids (not mild-hybrids) in that 2030 target.

Mercedes-Benz says it will continue to sell both petrol and diesel-powered vehicles alongside EVs for the foreseeable future, after delaying plans made in 2021 to release only zero-emissions models from 2025 and to become an EV-only brand in “selected markets” by 2030.

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