In a session with the media members today, Stellantis Malaysia revealed that it plans to introduce “affordable EVs” in the Malaysian market via Leapmotor, which it recently acquired 20% of. It is also planning to revive its iconic brands in the country, with some of them being Citroen, Jeep, and the already-announced Peugeot brand.
Interestingly, the slide shared by Stellantis also hints at local assembly (CKD) plans for Citroen, Leapmotor, Peugeoy, and Jeep. Stellantis aims to tackle the “mass market” with the Citroen brand, the “affordable EV” segment with Leapmotor, the “upper mainstream” segment with Peugeot, and the “recreational lifestyle” segment with Jeep.
Leapmotor is a Chinese automobile manufacturer that was established in 2015. Stellantis became a strategic shareholder of Leapmotor in October 2023, with a 20% stake in the company. Under the Leapmotor brand are electric vehicles (EVs) like the C01 electric sedan, the C11 electric SUV, and the T03 mini electric car.
Besides the 4 main brands under the Steallntis umbrella that are being planned for revival in the Malaysian market, Stellantis is also studying the possibility of reviving its other brands in the country like Maserati, Alfa Romeo, DS Automobiles, Lancia, Dodge, Chrysler, Opel, Vauxhall, and Fiat. It is also considering introducing its Leasys car rental and Free2move car-sharing businesses.
Stellantis plans to move forward with its 4 strategic pillars to revive its brands in Malaysia. The 4 pillars are “customer centricity”, “financial strength”, “brand power”, and “people & learning”. One of the main focuses of Stellantis’s brand revival would be the improvement in aftersales service.
As for what models (and brands) Stellantis will be bringing into Malaysia, the company says there will be an interesting array of vehicles that you can view at the upcoming 2024 Malaysia Autoshow. One model that is confirmed for the Malaysian market is the Peugeot 408. Stellantis could also introduce one of the three models from Leapmotor in Malaysia this year.
RELATED: Stellantis Malaysia to launch all-new Peugeot 408 in Q2 2024, other Stellantis brands to follow
During the media session today, Stellantis also shared that its Gurun plant currently has a production capacity of 60,000 units per year. 60% of the vehicles produced at the Gurun plant are for planned exports while the remaining 40% are planned for the Malaysian market.
