29/03/2026

Contributing Editor Keshy Dhillon / keshy@piston.my Editorial

T: 03-7784 6688 F: 03-7785 2625 E: lifestyle@thesundaily.com Advertising T: 03-7784 8888 E: advertise@thesundaily.com

SUNDAY | MAR 29, 2026

powered by

SCAN ME

transport where possible and just try to live modestly. But if you are in the market for a new car and have been caught off by the war in Iran, perhaps now might be a good time to consider something more frugal rather than what the heart desires. An electric car makes the most sense right now. At just under RM60,000, I would recommend the Proton e.MAS 5 for anyone who is considering adopting the EV lifestyle. But if you don’t have a home charger and your routine is unpredictable, perhaps an EV may not be for you.

the government must continue with the subsidies for the considerably future. The price of RON97 and diesel has already skyrocketed, but that is a story for another day. Anyway, so how does one manage dur ing these difficult times? I am no finance expert, but the easiest way would be to tighten one’s belt. Spend less on the unnecessary stuff, use public

Enter the plug-in hybrid (Phev), a powertrain that is now being touted by some manufacturers as a more practical solution than pure EV. Proton for one says a Phev is ideal for those who are curious about EV’s but are not yet ready to take the leap into full elec tric powertrains. That could be true. But I also think a PHEV is ideal for those of us whose rou tines are irregular and involve travelling interstate more often than occasionally. So, to plug the gap for those who want something more frugal than an internal combustion engine yet don’t want an EV, Proton introduced the e.MAS 7 Phev. If you have always been tempted by the good looks and spacious interior of the all-electric e.MAS 7, you should read on. WHAT IS THE E.MAS 7 PHEV? The simplest way to make it easy for none car people to understand, this is an electric car with a petrol-powered engine. Absolute blasphemy of a description for car guys, I know, but stay with me. A regular hybrid system has two differ ent power sources; the first is an electric motor with a battery to power it and the second is a petrol-powered engine (or die sel in some cases). The system switches automatically between the two depending on engine load and driving demands. A normal hybrid system such as the one found in a Honda CRV e:HEV (hybrid) has a small battery with limited electric range. But this is usually more efficient than your regular non-hybrid cars. But a Phev takes it a step further. A car with a plug-in hybrid powertrain typically has a more powerful electric motor that gets its juice from a large capacity battery. Then there is an inter nal combustion engine that acts as a

BY KESHY DHILLON

FUEL prices are raging. There is no other way to say it. While the government is put ting in considerable effort to maintain the price of RON95 at RM1.99, I will not be surprised if it becomes unfeasible if the

war in Iran does not end soon. And to announce a hike in

the price of RON95 during the Raya season will be the political equiva lent of perform ing hara-kiri . So,

Efficiency matters!

Proton e.MAS 7 plug-in hybrid more than just a good-looking car

The interior is largely the same as the electric e.MAS 7.

The 1.5-litre engine can also charge the battery at the same time.

Boot space is generous.