Production of the Aletra L8 has started at contract manufacturer PT Handal Indonesia Motor’s factory in Purwakarta, West Jawa. The Indonesian company says that it is committed to achieving local contest of over 40% in the coming years, in line with the government policies. According to Autonetmagz, Aletra’s R&D work includes the conversion from left- to right-hand-drive, as well as other changes to the interior and exterior to ensure that the L8 – based on the Livan Maple 80V L, which is essentially a Geely Jiaji EV – suits the tastes of Indonesian customers. Purwakarta is the only location producing the RHD L8, and there are plans to export the EV to other RHD countries in Asia Pacific. Here’s some background. Launched in November 2024, the L8 is the first product from Indonesian brand Aletra, owned by PT Sinar Armada Globalindo (PT SAG). The company’s partner is Livan Automotive, itself the result of a 2022 merger between Geely-owned Shanghai Maple and Lifan Technology, and is a joint-venture between Lifan Group and Geely Qizheng (owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding). As mentioned, the L8 based on the Livan Maple 80V L, which is an electric Geely Jiaji). Changes for the Indonesian market include an uprated twin-compressor air-con, new-design 18-inch alloys and a slightly-revised face. With seven seats in a 2-2-3 layout, the electric people-carrier is 4,812 mm long (-14 mm versus Jiaji L), 1,909 mm wide and 1,699 mm tall, with a 2,807 mm wheelbase. Ground clearance is listed as above 160 mm, which is similar to the Jiaji, but the boot’s 459-litre volume is less than the Jiaji L’s 513 litres, perhaps due to the EV battery beneath. Suspension is handled by front MacPhersons and rear multi links, like the Geely. The base L8 variant’s 50.4 kWh LFP battery enables a 431 km CLTC range, while the top L8s carries a 64.74 kWh short-blade bulletproof battery for 540 km CLTC. Both variants have the same 163 PS/240 Nm motor, getting the MPV from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds. Top speed is 160 km/h. Equipment includes a panoramic roof, auto wipers, 360 cam, blind spot monitoring, seven-inch TFT full-LCD combination instrument panel, 50W wireless phone charging, 72-colour ambient lighting, six-way electrically-adjustable front seats and a 12.4-inch touch-screen with wireless AACP. It’s got four airbags and stability control, but there’s no mention of ADAS. The Aletra L8 is priced at Rp 468 juta (RM121,457). What do you think of this electric Geely Jiaji versus the BYD M6 EV that’s sold in Malaysia from RM109,800 to RM123,800? Also, the regular Geely Jiaji L with a 1.5T engine (181 PS/290 Nm) and seven-speed DCT gearbox would have been a good ‘new Exora’ based on its good looks and our market’s decent demand for MPVs, don’t you think? GALLERY: Aletra L8 GALLERY: Geely Jiaji L
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