Still dreaming about the Neta GT that you saw at the 2024 Malaysia Auto Show? Don’t worry, us too. Good news, then, because Neta Auto Malaysia has just confirmed that it will eventually be launched here in Malaysia. The bad news? It’ll only be here the earliest by next year.
The delay, according to the Neta Malaysia local distributor Intro Synergy’s Executive Chairman, Dato’ SM Azli SM Nasimuddin Kamal speaking at a press event earlier today, is because we’ll be getting an “upgraded” version of the Neta GT, and not the car that was shown off during the motor show.
Dato’ SM Azli stopped short from divulging further info, although if we had to guess, it would be just a mild spec-bump at best, to be introduced alongside the model’s right-hand-drive conversion works, since the model was only officially launched in China last year; the model shown off at the 2024 Malaysia Auto Show was still a left-hand-drive unit.
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Over in China, the Neta GT occupies a fairly special position in the market as the “affordable” sportscar EV, with two variants on offer. The entry-level GT 560 sports a single motor on the rear axle with 170 kW (231 hp) and 310 Nm, sufficient for a century sprint in under 6.7 seconds.
On the top-end meanwhile is the Neta GT 580 AWD, with an additional motor on the front axle for a 340 kW (462 hp) and 620 Nm all-wheel drive setup, making it possible for the grand-tourer sports car to go from 0-100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. The numbers in the variant names are their respective driving range in kilometres, based on the CLTC test cycle – the 560 juiced by a 64.27 kWh battery pack, while the 580 AWD gets a larger 78 kWh unit.
Speaking to AutoBuzz.my under the condition of anonymity, a source close to the matter said the company is striving to price the Neta GT under the RM200k mark here in Malaysia, keeping true to the model’s original modus operandi in its home country.
At that price, is the two-door grand-tourer bodystyle of the Neta GT enough to sway you over the similarly priced heavy-hitters in the segment – and more importantly, over ICE-powered alternatives?
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