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What makes something a flagship? Flagship products represent the very best of a brand. Whether it's cars, electronic products, even services, a 'flagship' is core to a brand experience, as well as to the brand's image. Besides just delivering all the tangible features and functionality offered by the brand, a flagship product is also a showcase of the intangible - about what a brand stands for, and what it aims to deliver to customers. DENZA, a BYD Premium Brand, has now been officially introduced in Singapore. We look at the various ways that the new DENZA D9, available in both all-wheel drive (AWD) and front-wheel drive (FWD) variants, pursues excellence to cement it as the true flagship of the brand. Executive Excellence As the brand flagship, the D9 certainly appeals to the executive. Comfort and luxury is key. Twin captain chairs in the second row deliver this in spades, offering ample adjustability including a zero gravity mode that allows you to lie almost complete flat - perfect for a quick power nap when commuting between meetings. In-cabin functionality, from adjusting the climate controls and toggling music to activating ventilation and massage functions, is all done using the touchscreen on the armrest. Memory seats also ensure that your ideal seating position is one touch away every time you enter the car. 50W charging pockets, neatly located at the side of each seat, also allow quick charging of mobile devices on the move. Of course, high-quality materials abound. With ample use of Nappa leather in the AWD model or premium leather in the FWD model, and lashings of wooden trim, the D9 cabin delivers an air of quality and luxury. And if working on the go is necessary, fold-out tray tables can serve as a work top. And, devices will remain juiced up on the go. Besides the 50W charging pad, each captain chair also has a USB-C port that can power a laptop. Family Excellence But beyond just going from meeting to meeting, the D9 is also socially adept - whether for family or friends. It starts with generous space, of course. Courtesy of the D9's upsized dimensions and 3,110mm wheelbase, aft of the captain chairs is a third row with space to comfortably fit three adults, with air-con vents all around to keep everyone on board cool. There are even two USB-C charging points available to third row passengers. Keeping passengers entertained is a premium 14-speaker Dynaudio sound system, through which a karaoke mic can be equipped - perfect for keeping kids (or friends) entertained. And when dry throats inevitably arise after a few rock ballads, an on-board fridge (big enough to hold 8 canned drinks) will be able to have thirst-quenching cold beverages at the ready! And even for longer journeys such as a road trip with the family, the D9 makes little compromise. Even with 7 people aboard, a very reasonable and usable 410 litres of luggage space is available. Tech Excellence When it comes to technology and functionality, the D9 boasts a full suite of capabilities. This electric flagship has a large 103kWh battery, which can deliver up to 520km (WLTP) of range on the FWD model, and 480km (WLTP) on the AWD model. The battery supports a maximum of 166kW DC charging, and the D9 also has V2L capability that allows for the powering of external devices when the need arises. The single motor on the FWD variant produces 230kW and 360Nm of torque, with 0-100km/h dispatched in 9.5 seconds. For even more electrifying performance, the AWD model packs 275kW and 470Nm of torque, and does the century sprint in 6.9 seconds. The D9 will also feature a full suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (fully available in Q4 2024), which includes the likes of Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking System, and even Highway Assist with automative lane change. This is on top of a comprehensive suite of safety systems to keep all occupants safe and secure. Of course, the cabin also has a wealth of technology, as part of the DENZA Link Ultra-Intelligent Interactive Cockpit. On top of infotainment feature like audio connectivity and navigation, a voice interaction system also allows voice control of various car functions, including operating the sunroof and sunshade. Flagship Excellence All these qualities combine to deliver the flagship excellence that the DENZA D9 promises - available in Advance (FWD) as well as Grandeur (AWD) variants. While the Advance variant is thoroughly equipped, drivers looking for higher levels of equipment and luxury can choose the Grandeur model. Besides more performance, additional equipment include the likes of the DiSus-C intelligent damping suspension, premium suede ceiling, a head-up display, Driver Monitoring System, digital rear view mirror, among others. Whether you are a corporate executive looking to elevate your travels, or a family looking to uplift family experiences in the car, and perhaps even both, the DENZA D9 is a true flagship designed to over-deliver on comfort, technology and luxury to ensure excellence in every journey. The new DENZA D9 has officially been launched in Singapore. Singapore's DENZA showrooms are at Sime Darby Motors, 305 Alexandra Road, and Harmony Auto, 7 Ubi Close (coming soon in October). The DENZA downtown showcase at ION Orchard Level 1 Atrium by Harmony Auto is taking place from 10 to 19 October, 10:00am to 10:00pm. Attractive launch discounts and super-comfortable test drives are available at the two locations! - Desmond

Mercedes-Benz lifts profit forecast as luxury cars boom https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/mercedes-benz-raises-outlook-cars-division-13-15-2022-10-26/ While BMW orders have to be delayed for months, Mercedes is raising their profit forecast. - Group Q3 earnings up 83% to 5.2 bln euros - Carmaker raises forecast for cars and group FY earnings - Supply chain issues hampered top-end and BEV production - Withdrawing from Russian market -CFO

At the first glance, I can't tell that it is a all new generation... 50 TDI Quattro S Line

Looking for your next luxury car but want to skip the wait? Cars & Coffee Singapore has plenty of options ready for you. If you were buying a relatively affordable car simply for getting around, the process isn’t overly complicated. You head to the showroom, pick a standard specification, pick your preferred paint colour, and you’ll have your new car in next to no time. However, when it comes to the realm of luxury cars, it’s not as straightforward as that. Customers who are spending big sums of money on their cars, especially cars that are less commonplace and thus more unique, tend to be a more discerning and pickier bunch. For such buyers, they would have much more specific requirements when it comes to their cars. Can you blame them? When you’re spending hundreds of thousands on your car, you surely want exactly the specificiation that you are looking for. Just for you Such requirements can take many forms – engine, exterior equipment, interior equipment and design, as well as specific add-on options from the manufacturer. Understandably, when it comes to luxury cars, distributors aren’t going to carry ready stock of every possible configuration possible of these cars. Take for example a Porsche 911. On top of the 21 different variants already on offer, there are 17 exterior colour options, 32 interior colour and materials options, 6 rims choices, there are more than 150 other individual options available to you on the online car configurator. If you specifically choose to option such a car from the factory, it can take a long time before the car actually gets to you. And yes, maybe you can wait. But not everyone wants to wait 9 to 12 months for their new car. Cars & Coffee Singapore recognises this, and thus to fulfil its customers desires, it carries a wide range of ready stock luxury cars. On hand, the company boasts close to 100 ready stock luxury cars. You can have your pick of luxury models, including Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and even a Pagani Huayra. And as these cars are ready stock, you can secure your car and have it on the road quickly – no need to wait months just for your car to reach Singapore. And, if you are looking for something super limited and rare, like a McLaren 720S or a Maybach, or you want a particular colour/trim specification of a 911 or C63, Cars & Coffee is abl to quickly source for the specific specification that its customers want. Dedicated experience To better meet the demands of these discerning customers, Cars & Coffee is also revamping its commonwealth showroom. The showroom has been redesigned to offer a more dedicated and tailoured customer experience. On top of being home to many luxury models, the Commonwealth showroom also hosts a new coffee bar that serves up premium coffee. Alongside these luxury cars, you can also find Japanese models such as the latest Honda Fit and Honda Vezel. To further enhance the buying experience, Cars & Coffee Singapore is also now offering an in-house interest rate of 1.68% - the company has managed to secure this low interest rate with the bank due to its strong sales volume. To find out more, you can visit the Cars & Coffee Singapore showroom at 1 Commonwealth Lane, #01-01 One Commonwealth Singapore (149544). Additionally, you can also visit the Cars & Coffee Megastore located at 60 Jln Lam Huat, Level 6 Carros Centre, Singapore (737869), where you can find even more cars on sale.

Kia releases renderings of redesigned 2019 K900 flagship sedan before April reveal.http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/news/2019-kia-k900-redesign-renderings-photos-teaser-article-1.3862925 Galore of teaser photos and videos over the last two weeks gave us our first peeks at the redesigned 2019 Kia K900 luxo-barge. Now, the Korean automaker teases us once again with the first rendered sketches of what the revamped flagship will look like. A grand departure from the tiger nose grille currently found on the Optima, Forte and Stinger, the K900 takes on a design Kia says is based on a concept called, “Gravity of Prestige,” leading to a more restrained and tasteful interpretation of the more raucous design cues of the Stinger fastback. Kia also says the front grille’s “Quadric Pattern” features 176 “jewel-like” cells, creating an illusion of energy – whatever that means, similar to that of the spindle/Darth Vader-esque grille found on the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. The Duplex Comet headlights are allegedly inspired by “the trajectory of light,” according to Kia. Because the K900 is slated to go on sale in select markets in the latter half of the year, the idea of New York being the optimal place to lift the curtain – as it’s the last major auto show before the second quarter of 2018 – seemed to make perfect sense. Earlier this week however, the automaker squashed rumors of a New York Auto Show reveal after a teaser video was released cryptically mentioning an April 2018 release date. Since the sketches were released yesterday, Kia offers no more information related to engine specs, fuel economy or size of the flagship’s redesign. The leading theory at the moment is since the previous-gen K900 was based on the now-defunct Hyundai Equus, the new K900 will be based on the same platform as the Genesis G90. That means the K900 could potentially come with the same standard 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 and optional 5.0-liter V8 as the G90, while also potentially offering the same rear-wheel drive drivetrain with all-wheel drive as an option.

Test 3

Just out of curiousity, if you had to choose all over again, what type of cars will you pick? This is of course choosen in your own current situation (be it expanding family, chasing a new chick etc...). It should also be within your own means...otherwise everyone will just pick 458 italia spider.

For the first time, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is running a Chauffeur Driving programme across the Asia Pacific region, in countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Macau and Bangkok where there are traditionally a larger proportion of chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce owners. Called the 'White Glove Programme', this unique training is being conducted for new and experienced chauffeurs to help them to better handle their clients' Rolls-Royce cars. This programme is not about performance driving but instead focuses on enlightening drivers to have a thorough understanding of great driving etiquette, standards, best practice, car handling, safety and delivering a truly Rolls-Royce journey. The training will be conducted by UK-based Rolls-Royce expert, Andi McCann, who is highly experienced in working with chauffeurs and professional racing drivers. Chauffeurs also have to care for their passengers during loading and unloading, as well as make sure their needs are well taken care of. Along the way, they must not only drive safely but also at all times ensure the safety and security of their passengers. With Rolls-Royce, Andi is the company's approved VVIP Chauffeur, a Rolls-Royce Chauffeur and etiquette trainer, a Rolls-Royce product expert and trainer and Rolls-Royce Chauffeur for the Board of Directors, CEO and Chairman.

Most of us probably think - at least I do - that luxury cars are perfect. Their brands alone have often reflected how top notch they are. Brands like Ferrari, Porsche, and Maserati (among others) are few good examples. However, believe it or not, that will be so true if, and only if, we are living in a perfect world. Speaking of which, unfortunately, this world is not perfect. This recent event in China just proved it even more so. A pretty rich Chinese man decided to destroy his Maserati Quattroporte on 14th May 2013. Mind you, the car costs 2.6 million Chinese Yuan which is equivalent to approximately S$526,000. The Chinese guy hammered his car in front of the crowd witnessing the Qingdao International Auto Show which started on the aforementioned date. According to the man, he destroyed his car to protest against the Maserati dealer he bought the car from. However, I would say that the event was actually the peak of a problem which started back in 2011, as reported by Car News China. At that time, the owner encountered a problem with his Maserati and so he contacted Maserati China. There was a fault with one of the car parts and, considering the car was still under warranty, the owner should have received a replacement for free. Surprisingly, though, Maserati China decided to charge him for a refurbished used part. Well, I guess the dealer must have thought that it was worth it for the 'repair' although I can say it's actually not worth it. Now, seeing that the owner decided to finally destroy his really expensive car, I believe that the guy is really fed up with the dealer. I, for one, can understand the guy. You see, even for a car priced far below the price of the Maserati Quattroporte, we can get engine swaps free of charge as long as the car is still under warranty. Now that I've witnessed a luxury car with quite a few faults, I guess I'll have to think over several times before deciding to buy one of my own in the future (that's assuming I can afford one, though, haha

Unfazed by the European debt crisis and sluggish global economy, Rolls-Royce plans to increase the number of dealers from 105 to 120 worldwide in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Chile to target the well-to-do. Rolls-Royce is counting on the growing wealth in Asia and South America to generate demand as the debt crisis dampens sentiment among Europe's rich. The number of households in these regions with more than $5 million in assets is set to grow by 3 to 5 percent per year in the coming years, said Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Rolls-Royce's CEO. "Of course, we feel that the mood isn't the best in certain markets, but we're able to compensate with growth in places such as Russia, the Middle East and China," he said. "Our goal is to grow sustainably and not chase volume. Rolls-Royce will remain exceptional," Torsten added. The concentration of wealth is increasing in developing markets. The Asia-Pacific region overtook North America with the most high-net worth individuals in 2011. Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce created a Year of the Dragon special edition of the Phantom for the China market, featuring a hand-painted gold dragon on each side of the wheelbase. They were sold out within two months. China is the perfect example rising affluence in Asia.

In recent years, the downsizing of engines by premium brands has led to luxury cars competing for a slice of the Cat A COE, which is of 1600CC capacity and below. For instance, a 1.6-litre Volvo S80 is something unthinkable 10 years ago but it is available today. Before that, Cat A COE used to be dominated by work horses such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. With the tightening of COE supply, prices are sure to head north. As premium brands would normally command higher profit margin, it is expected of them to out-bid a Korean or Japanese brand in securing a COE. But is there a fairer way to allocate the limited resources? Perhaps, COE could be categorized by the car's Open Market Value (OMV) instead of capacity. OMV is assessed by the Singapore Customs, based on the price actually paid or payable for the goods when sold for export to the country of importation. This price includes purchase price, freight, insurance and all other charges incidental to the sale and delivery of the car to Singapore. To ensure that a middle income Singaporean is not out-priced in the COE hunt, Cat A COE could be classified as cars of OMV below S$20,000. Cars with OMV of between S$20,001 to S$35,000 could be classified under Cat B. In this scenario, a Corolla buyer would not be going after the same piece of COE as a wealthy Volvo S60 T4 buyer. Rather, this would put the 1.6-litre S60 and the 2.0-litre Camry in the same category, which I believe should make more sense. Cat E COE could be classified as cars with OMV of S$35,001 and above. Car sales dominated by luxury brands are unheard of in other countries. It is time to put things back to normal.

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[extract] Following the recent opening of the first Rolls-Royce showroom at Rama 3 in Bangkok, the uber premium brand announced plans to open a unique boutique in Central Bangkok, the first of its kind in Asia. The facility will be located at Siam Paragon, a luxury shopping mall. It will offer easy access to Rolls Royce products for customers and complement the existing 2-storey Rolls-Royce showroom in the same building. On the first stop of a four-city tour of Asia Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Torsten M

According to Bernhard Maier, Porsche's head of sales and marketing, the brand has no plans to sell a car costing less than the Boxster although it has set sights on reaching an annual sales target of 200,000 units by 2018. "To build a Porsche for 30,000 euros currently doesn't fit our brand," Bernhard Maier told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Monaco. The extraordinary purchase experience is not for free and the entry price is currently covered with the Boxster and in the future by the Macan." The Macan is Porsche's second SUV, positioned below the Cayenne. Last year, the company sold 117,000 units, representing an increase of 18% over 2010 sales figures. Surprisingly, the bulky Cayenne SUV is now Porsche's best seller, accounting for half of the firm's sales in the first quarter of 2012. Despite the increase in sales, exclusivity is still achievable, according to Mr Maier. "If the experts are right and the world markets grow to 100 million units in 2018 and Porsche would sell 200,000 units, we would have a world market share of 0.2 percent. I don't believe this would be a drastic change in exclusiveness." he added. Porsche has my respects for not blindly chasing after figures and diluting the brand's image in the process.

[extract] Back in 2009, Zagato and Perana Performance Group attracted some attention with their new Z-one. However, the Perana Z-One has now resurfaced under a 111-year old brand known as AC, which will be renaming and selling it as the the AC 378 GT Zagato. The 6.2-litre V8 outputs 440hp and 537Nm of torque. If that doesn

[extract] Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has made an agreement with Chery Automobile Company to build and sell its premium luxury brands in China as part of JLR

[extract] Conducted by Polk and AutoTrader.com, the 2012 New Luxury Vehicle Loyalty study examines the reasons why luxury car buyers stay loyal or switch to a competitor brand. The survey was conducted between September to November 2011 among 1485 American luxury car buyers from six high-end car manufacturers namely Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

[extract] The world's largest Rolls-Royce showroom has just opened in Abu Dhabi. Located in the Umm Al Nar area of the city, the new facility was unveiled in the presence of Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten M

Hyundai Motor group has plans to enter the premium sector currently dominated by Lexus, Audi, BMW and Mercedes. The luxury arm would most likely be called Genesis and include company's current rear-wheel drive offerings such as the Genesis Sedan and Coupe as well as the soon-to-be-launched Equus. The automaker, which saw its U.S. market share increase by an impressive 50 per cent in the past two years, would further enhance the range of the Genesis brand with a compact sports saloon in the likes of the iconic BMW 3-Series, and a crossover utility vehicle to compete with the Lexus RX 350. John Krafcik, president of Hyundai Motor America, told The Wall Street Journal that the company has three branding scenarios under consideration. The first and most likely to happen would be for Hyundai to launch the Genesis as a sub-brand and sell the cars in separate parts of its own showrooms. The other is to follow in the footsteps of Lexus and launch the brand into separate dealerships The final option would be for the company to develop the aforementioned sedan and SUV models but keep the Hyundai branding for the time being. While Hyundai remains open to all options, Mr. Krafcik said that he is most concerned about launching a spin-off brand due to the costs related to the creation of a new network of dealers and that the company would need to make an additional $6,000 in revenue per each car sold by the outlets. There appears to be a lot of enthusiasm among Hyundai dealers in the US, who are almost certain about the creation of the Genesis brand. Although Hyundai