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Hype Malaysia
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2025 Review: A Festival Of Chaos, Thirst & Missed Expectations
Brought to life by Hitman Solutions and Boss Creator, Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2025 made its debut at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, promising regional unity, genre-spanning brilliance, and the beloved Jakarta-born spirit of Pestapora. With over 25 acts, two stages, and a crowd of more than 25,000, it had all the makings of a landmark event. To be fair, the music did its job. Sheila On 7 made a loud, emotional comeback, .Feast brought the chaos, Dolla shone with polished pop power, and Pamungkas delivered smooth, heartfelt vocals. For a short while, the energy was electric. The crowd sang 'Dan' and 'Sephia' like their lives depended on it, swept up in a wave of nostalgia. If a festival was judged only by sound and feelings, this one would've nailed it – but then came the heat, the queues, and the mess, right on cue. A Water Crisis In The Middle Of A Sauna In a country where sweating is practically a birthright, you'd think hydration would top the festival's checklist. But no – only four official water stations were set up for a crowd of over 25,000. They were hopelessly understaffed, and supply clearly couldn't keep up with demand. What followed was a three-hour queue marathon just to maybe score a bottle – unless you were lucky enough to find someone reselling theirs at a markup, like some sort of desert bootlegger. Outside drinks? Strictly banned. Drinks bought from the official F&B vendors upstairs? Also banned from the concert zone. All while giant LED screens kept flashing 'Stay Hydrated' like a bad joke. Some fans reportedly fainted from the heat and dehydration, because apparently, surviving the crowd wasn't challenging enough – you had to fight for basic survival too. A Single Passage & Thousands Of Regrets There was only one passageway connecting the standing zones to the F&B area above, which also, for some reason, housed the second stage, 'Hingar Bingar.' It was supposed to feel intimate. What it actually felt like was a cruel social experiment in crowd control. I didn't even bother trying to go up. Not because I didn't want to – I just enjoy breathing and having personal space. Every glance at that human traffic jam was a hard pass. The crowd was packed, the energy was tense, and getting back down would've taken forever. So yes, a whole stage with acts I was genuinely excited about, and I saw none of it. Not because I skipped it, but because poor planning made it feel like a risk I wasn't willing to take. Premium Tickets, Discounted Experience The venue was divided into four zones – Rockzone (front standing), General Admission (rear standing), and CAT 1 & CAT 2 (seated). In theory, it sounded organised. In reality, Rockzone only had one entrance and exit, which quickly became a loophole. GA ticket holders strolled into the premium zone with little to no resistance, making that price tag feel more like a generous donation than an upgrade. Over in the seated zones, the sound quality dropped off a cliff. Audio was so muffled it felt like listening to your favourite band through a wall. The giant screens could've saved the experience, but instead, chose to show wide drone shots of the crowd while the artists were mid-performance. If you were hoping to catch a clear glimpse of Sheila On 7, you needed to be in Rockzone. Everyone else? They had to settle for blurry screens, muffled sound, and a lot of wishful thinking. Festival Essentials, Missing: Common Sense & Basic Decency Food at the festival was… limited, both in variety and in mercy. With only a handful of vendors serving the entire crowd, choices were scarce – and prices were laughable. Even if you skipped the fancy gourmet stuff, a basic serving of plain white rice with daging masak lemak cost RM25. Pair that with a 550ml bottle of Spritzer for RM5, and suddenly you're wondering if you accidentally wandered into a five-star buffet in the middle of a heatwave. But it wasn't just the fans paying the price. One performer shared that she had to carry a cello on foot for 1.2km to get to the venue – because apparently, a proper artist drop-off point was too much to ask. No loading zone, no access lane, just vibes and cardio. If this was meant to be 'Latihan,' then yes – we were all being trained. Just not for a concert. For survival. A Front Row Seat To Frustration Media access was a mess from the start. We were dumped into CAT 1, where the sound barely made it across and the performers looked like ants on stage. It felt less like covering a concert and more like watching a muted broadcast from the nosebleeds. So, to do my job properly, I ended up buying my own GA ticket – which also meant surrendering the media pass entirely, because re-entry? Not an option. That decision came at the cost of missing two and a half performances, all while navigating the maze between zones. It was a tiring, pointless loop that left me wondering why there was a media section at all if it wasn't even usable. If covering a festival requires a side quest and a second ticket, something's deeply broken. The Only Thing We Trained For Was Disappointment Latihan Pestapora Malaysia had all the right intentions. Bringing a celebrated Indonesian festival to local soil was meant to be a cultural milestone, a celebration of shared music and regional unity. The performances lived up to the hype. The artists delivered. But everything else felt carelessly stitched together, leaving fans to deal with long queues, dehydration, poor planning and a crowd flow system that barely made sense. Whatever magic the music created was constantly interrupted by logistical chaos. I went home that night not tired from dancing or singing along, but from standing in endless lines, searching for water, and trying not to lose my temper. The only real 'Latihan' that took place was on the audience's part – we trained in patience, discomfort and adjusting our expectations with every passing hour. If this was meant to prove Malaysia could host a festival of this scale, it missed the mark. Maybe next time, or maybe just leave it to Jakarta.
Miami Herald
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Are Kias Reliable? Here's Everything You Need To Know
Kia recently posted record sales in the United States, emphasizing just how far the brand has come since the Sephia compact arrived here in the first half of the 1990s. Once known for little more than plasticky, high-value econoboxes, today's Kia's are true style leaders, boast the latest tech, and some are as quick as far more expensive sports cars. One would assume that the brand's success has something to do with a strong reputation for dependability, too, but are Kias actually reliable? And can the brand match Toyota in this aspect? We'll try to answer that here. Many consumers like to paint a single brand and all its models with the same brush. Just because you were able to cover 250,000 trouble-free miles in a basic Civic doesn't mean that all Hondas are automatically as reliable, which is why it's important to distinguish between brand reliability and model reliability. Often, there is some correlation, but even the best manufacturers are guilty of producing a lemon every now and then. For this exercise, therefore, we'll hone in on specific Kia model issues while also taking a bird's eye view of the brand as a whole. We'll consult a range of reputable sources and customer complaints, as one source can often be at odds with another. Most of our information will also be based on Kia models from the 2022 model year and older, as it's impossible to make an accurate dependability assessment for vehicles that are still quite new and which have not racked up many miles. Related: The most-and least-reliable car brands on the road today We'll start by looking at Kia as a brand. According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, which assesses issues that owners of 2022 model year vehicles experienced over the first three years of ownership, Kia fares quite well. The study ranks automakers by the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100); the lower the number of problems, the higher that manufacturer ranks. Vehicle owners were surveyed about aspects such as the driving experience, infotainment systems, the seats, the powertrain, and anything else that could affect the ownership experience. Kia was ranked 11th out of 30 brands, with 196 PP100. This was marginally better than the study average of 202 PP100. With this score, Kia outperformed the likes of Honda and Subaru, while ranking far higher than its corporate rival, Hyundai (222 PP100). Rival brands like Mazda (161 PP100) and Toyota (162 PP100) performed better than Kia, but the Korean brand still put in a decent showing. We went back a few years to see how Kia performed: 2024 study: Ranked 8th with 187 PP100 (study average: 190 PP100)2023 study: Ranked 3rd with 152 PP100 (study average: 186 PP100)2022 study: Ranked 1st with 145 PP100 (study average: 192 PP100)2021 study: Ranked 3rd with 97 PP100 (study average: 121 PP100)2020 study: Ranked 14th with 132 PP100 (study average: 134 PP100)2019 study: Ranked 10th with 126 PP100 (study average: 136 PP100) So, how reliable are Kias? Based on these results, we can see that while Kia's ranking has fluctuated, it has consistently been above-average in brand rankings for dependability. Consumer Reports ranks Kia ninth out of 22 brands for predicted reliability. Much like J.D. Power's results, Kia is above average but does not quite hit the consistently high ratings of Toyota. Below, we've looked at some of the most reliable Kias between the 2010 and 2020 model years. We've chosen this time span, as these vehicles have been around long enough for reliability data to accumulate, but they're also not so old whereby maintenance will become an issue. These models have a low number of recalls and complaints, and the complaints that were logged are also not severe or have been successfully resolved via a recall. This is by no means an exhaustive list of reliable Kias, but gives us an idea of specific models and years that have high ratings. 2020 Kia Sportage J.D. Power quality and reliability rating: 89/100No. of complaints via Car Complaints: 12 A high quality and reliability rating and few complaints single out the 2020 Sportage, which is part of the crossover's fourth generation. This model was affected by two recalls for a fire risk, but these recalls affected many Sportage model years and once addressed, we see no issue with buying one of these. 2019 Kia Soul J.D. Power quality and reliability rating: 87/100No. of complaints: 15 Kia's Soul is a simple, affordable crossover without a lot of technology that can fail. For the lowest-risk option, consider the base 1.6-liter model with no turbo and the manual gearbox. The only recall on record is from 2022 and relates to airbags, so as long as these have been checked, this should be a solid runabout. 2018 Kia Optima J.D. Power quality and reliability rating: 86/100No. of complaints: 12 With few complaints and a high quality score, the now-defunct Optima sedan makes for a solid used buy. Over at Kelley Blue Book, it also has a commendable 4.3 out of 5 rating for reliability. KBB suggests you can pick up a used example for under $10k, which is great value for a spacious and comfortable sedan. 2016 Kia Forte J.D. Power quality and reliability score: 82/100No. of complaints: 10 One minor recall for a trunk emergency release that could fail, few complaints, and a good quality score make the 2016 Forte a solid used bet. Consumers on KBB also rated it at 4.4 out of 5 for reliability, and a used example will cost you under $6,000. There's nothing remarkable about it, but the Forte is hard to beat for simple, honest motoring. According to Car Complaints, the following Kias have racked up the highest and/or most serious number of complaints by drivers: 2013 Kia Optima2013/2014/2015/2016 Kia Sorento The 2016 Sorento, for example, is prone to complete engine failure for a rod bearing issue. The typical repair cost is extremely high, at $7,390, and the average mileage this occurs is at just over 94,000 miles. No automaker is perfect, and even Kia doesn't have an untarnished reliability record. These are some of the brand's most serious issues to watch out for. Theta II Engine Failure This four-cylinder engine family was introduced in 2009 and went on to power many Hyundai and Kia models. Equipped with gasoline direct injection (hence the GDI name), two versions were available: A 2.0-liter and a 2.4-liter, both with four cylinders. Once consumers began to put some miles on the Theta II engines, a range of very serious issues cropped up. In 2015, the NHTSA recalled 470,000 Sonatas with these engines, manufactured for the 2011 and 2012 model years. According to Hyundai, metal debris may have been left in the crankshaft's oil passages, forcing the debris into the connecting rod oiling passages amd restricting oil flow to the bearings. Ultimately, this leads to premature bearing wear, a knocking noise, and complete engine failure in some cases. On Car Complaints, there are 193 complaints for a seized engine on the 2011 Sonata, with a typical repair cost of $5,150. Later, the 2015 recall was expanded to include thousands of Optima, Sorento, Sportage and other models with the Theta engine. Lawsuits followed, and it's estimated that Hyundai and Kia spent over $2 billion in settlements and engine replacements related to this engine. In 2022, Hyundai and Kia announced a settlement for over 2 million affected vehicles, plus a replacement (if necessary) of vehicles still in the extended warranty period of 15 years/150,000 miles. Some Kia model years appear to be much more affected than others, so we recommend thoroughly researching your specific model if buying a used Kia with this engine. Other Kia Problems On RepairPal, the most complaints related to Kia are for the following issues. Fortunately, none are as serious as the Theta II engine troubles: HeadlampsMalfunctioning door locksDifficulty starting due to malfunctioning anti-theft control moduleFaulty throttle position switchTransmission issues We have also noted a few cases of owners noticing paintwork issues on some older Kias, which can be prone to cracking, peeling, or fading. Together with Hyundai, Kia has one of the best warranties for new cars. Its limited warranty runs for five years/60,000 miles, but the powertrain warranty is particularly good, stretching to 10 years of 100,000 miles; that's double the duration offered by Toyota or Honda. EV batteries are also covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Kia's long-term reliability reputation may not match Toyota's, but its warranty provides great peace of mind. Based on the available data, we'd say that yes, Kia can generally be regarded as a reliable car brand. It consistently ranks higher than the average for all car brands in terms of the number of customer issues, and many individual models score highly. Build quality of modern Kias has improved steadily, to the point where most of its models now feel quite premium. The Theta II engine scandal is a particularly serious blemish, though, so we'd advise you to find a used model without one of these engines, or to make sure that your particular model year isn't one of the riskier options. That said, even Toyota has had engine troubles; it had to recall certain Tundra and Lexus LX models for almost exactly the same issue as the Theta II engines, whereby machining debris could be left in the engine from the manufacturing process. While these issues are damaging to the brands' reputations, it would be unfair to suggest they don't make any reliable cars. If you buy a well-maintained used Kia, it has the potential to last for a long time before a serious issue occurs. Is Kia a good, reliable vehicle? Many Kias are reliable, but watch out for models equipped with the Theta II engine. Do Kia cars last long? Kias can last for well over 10 years if well-maintained, although the brand doesn't have the same reputation for longevity as Toyota. Where does Kia rank in reliability? Depending on the study or year, Kia often ranks above the industry average, and has even been as high as number 1 previously. Is Kia as reliable as Toyota? Kia ranks as better than average, but it does not consistently outrank Toyota for reliability. Is Kia or Honda better? In terms of reliability, both brands are above average, but Honda has a slightly stronger reputation in this area. Kia leads in some areas, though: Its cars are more boldly styled, generally pack in more tech, and its EV lineup is much broader than Honda's. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Korea Herald
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Hyundai, Kia on track to surpass 30 m cumulative sales in US this year
South Korea's largest automotive giant Hyundai Motor Group is set to reach a major milestone of 30 million cumulative vehicle sales in the United States this year, continuing its steady growth in the key overseas market, the group said Monday. Since their entry into the US market in 1986, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. had sold a total of 29,303,995 vehicles as of the end of February. Hyundai accounted for 17,116,065 units, and Kia sold 12,187,930 units. Last year, Hyundai sold 911,805 units, while Kia sold 796,488 units in the US, marking their best-ever annual sales performances in the country. Together, Hyundai and Kia ranked fourth in total sales in the country for the second consecutive year, following General Motors, Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Building on this momentum, the South Korean automotive group said it aims to surpass the 30 million mark within the year by leveraging Hyundai and Kia's strong product portfolios and flexible production capabilities. Hyundai began exporting its Excel sedan to the US in January 1986. In 2005, it completed its first US manufacturing facility in Alabama. Kia established its US sales subsidiary in 1992 and began selling the Sephia and Sportage models in 1994. It broke ground on its Georgia plant in 2006, which was completed in early 2010. The companies together reached 1 million units in cumulative sales in 1990 and 10 million units in 2011. In 2018, they achieved the 20 million-unit milestone. Hyundai's best-selling model in the US has been the Elantra, known as the Avante in South Korea, with 3.88 million units sold since its American debut in 1991. For Kia, the Sorento has been the top seller, with 1.83 million units sold since its launch in 2002. (Yonhap)
