As Bermaz Auto prepares for the Malaysian launch of Chinese brand Xpeng, the company is aiming for two other brands under its umbrella, Kia and Mazda to occupy different segments of the passenger vehicle market.
According to Bermaz Auto group CEO Datuk Francis Lee Kok Chuan, he believes that Kia will be the “new work horse” brand for the group’s growth in the next two to three years, taking the place of Mazda in the mainstream segment as the Japanese brand in the group’s portfolio moves upmarket to a more premium segment, reported The Edge Malaysia.
“Kia’s Asia-Pacific office is based in KL and they want to make the Asean project work because they are already good everywhere, except in Asean and China. So, now, they are putting a lot of emphasis on the Asean market,” Lee told the publication.
The Kia Sorento SUV and Kia Carnival MPV sold in the Malaysian market are locally assembled (CKD) models, assembled in the Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah.
The fourth-generation Sorento was launched locally in March 2023, priced from RM211,498, while the Carnival was launched in this market in February this year starting from RM199k for the 11-seater, up to RM246k for the eight-seater and RM260k for the seven-seater.
Bolstering the volume push by Kia is the fifth-generation Sportage, which will also be assembled at the Inokom plant in Kulim. Bermaz aims to sell 4,000 to 5,000 units of the Sportage annually, reported The Edge Malaysia. The Sportage is set to be a key volume generator for Bermaz, as Mazda goes further upmarket. “The Sportage is selling very well worldwide. In fact, they don’t have CBU (completely built up) cars for us to bring in,” group CEO Lee said.
The intended upmarket drive for Mazda under Bermaz points to models such as the CX-60, which is the brand’s first model to be built on the manufacturer’s Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture that brings a longitudinal-front-engine layout and rear-wheel drive, along with mild-hybrid and PHEV electrification.
Should the CX-60 enter the Malaysian market, this would likely get even higher price positioning. Currently in Malaysia, the largest SUV in the range, the CX-9 is priced from RM328,000 according to the Mazda Malaysia website. In Indonesia, the CX-60 was launched at 1.1888 billion rupiah, or about RM358k in the exchange rate at the time. Other Asean markets which have already received the CX-60 are the Philippines and Singapore.
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