KUALA LUMPUR: Chery is scheduled to start local assembly of the Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5 in June followed by their launch in July to signal the Chinese brand’s return to the Malaysian market.
The local plant would have a production capacity of 30,000 units per annum
As to who the local contract assembler is, Chery said it would be announced soon.
Media reports have speculated it could either be assembly units run by Sime Darby Motors or DRB-Hicom.
The local assembly would involve localisation of components such as plastic parts, wheels and seat materials, Chery International executive vice president Charlie Zhang said at a media briefing here today.
He had arrived in Malaysia to finalise details on the local Chery operations before the official opening in July.
The Tiggo 8 Pro will be available at launch with a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configuration. A plug-in hybrid combining a 1.5-litre turbo mill paired with two electric motors would likely arrive in 2024.
The 7-seat Tiggo 8 Pro should give the Proton X90 a good run for the money. The Proton SUV, also a 7-seater, is expected to launch by mid-2023.
As for the Omoda 5, Chery is expected to spec the 5-seat SUV with a 1.5l turbocharged powerplant though it’s also available with a 1.6l turbo mill in other markets.
Malaysians can also look forward to the all-electric variant of the Omoda 5 coming after the first wave of combustion-engined SUVs.
Zhang expects the sporty and futuristic-looking Omoda 5 to be the volume seller, snapping up 60% of sales, while the Tiggo 8 Pro would account for the rest.
According to Zhang, the Tiggo 7 Pro would come later as Chery needed time to assess local requirements and configure it properly to give customers the most bang for the buck.
The B-segment Tiggo 4 Pro is also on the cards though no specific timeline has been given.
He said Chery would also continue to sell combustion engine vehicles for as long as there is demand around the world.
Chery first foray into Malaysia was almost 20 years ago but it didn’t last as the products were not competitive enough and the customer ownership experience left much to be desired.
But that is now water under the bridge.
Just as in Indonesia, Chery’s return to Malaysia is because it says it has advanced to a point where it has attractive and competitive products to offer local customers.
Its strategy is to offer its internal combustion engined cars first in countries that are not ready yet for electric mobility.
In a video
interview
with CarSifu last September, Chery International country director for Malaysia Leo Chen had said the SUV models that Malaysians could get are the Tiggo 4 Pro, Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro as well as the Omoda 5.
In October, it
previewed
the Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5 as well as three other models along with a short media drive of the Tiggo series.
Keyword: Chery all set for Malaysian debut in July, two CKD SUVs offered