There have been many new carmakers from China that have entered the Malaysian market in the past few years, and it seems like a new one will be joining the party soon, and it’s known as Kaiyi Automobile. One of the brand’s models, the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV has been spotted by a member of the Malaysian Electric Vehicle Owners Club Facebook group, Har Chee, in Cyberjaya with trade plates.
Doing a quick check on Kaiyi’s global website, it’s stated that the brand is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chery Automobile, and is based in Yibin, Sichuan Province. This should explain some of its designs that look to have been inspired by some of Chery’s own products.
But unlike the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV listed on the brand’s site, the model spotted here in Malaysia sports a slightly different-looking front fascia. The Kaiyi X3 Pro EV shown on Kaiyi’s global site sports a more internal combustion engine (ICE) car-like “grille”, featuring honeycomb patterns, while the one seen at Cyberjaya is fitted with a completely closed-off front panel.
Size-wise, the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV measures 4,440 mm in length, 1,831 mm in width, and 1,646 mm in height, and is underpinned by a 2,632 mm long wheelbase. This makes it larger than the Proton X50 and the Chery Omoda 5 which are both B-segment SUVs.
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Powered by a front-mounted single motor setup, the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV makes 163 hp (metric) and 280 Nm, which Kaiyi says allows the SUV to sprint from a standstill to 50 km/h in just 3.77 seconds. Thanks to a 53 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack from CATL, the X3 Pro EV is said to be able to travel as far as 401 km (NEDC) on a single charge. Suspension-wise, the X3 Pro EV is also said to feature a MacPherson setup up front and Multi-link at the rear.
In terms of its features, the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV not only comes with LED headlights, and LED taillights but also two 10.25-inch screens inside. When it comes to safety, the Kaiyi X3 Pro in other markets is equipped with a 360° camera system, along with active safety features like lane departure warning (LDW).
So, how much does the Kaiyi X3 Pro EV cost? Well, it has yet to make its launch here in Malaysia just yet. In China, the all-electric SUV is priced between RMB119,900 (approx. RM77,081) and RMB176,600 (approx. RM113,532), according to CarNewsChina. Would you give this new EV SUV a chance if it’s made available in Malaysia?
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