Latest news with #Geely
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia emerge as launchpads for China's EV giants
KUALA LUMPUR: Automotive investments surged this quarter, led by a sharpened focus on the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain and Asean's rise as a key hub for global automakers, according to BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions. BMI said the most notable trend is the continued expansion of Chinese automakers such as Geely, GAC, and Changan, who are using the Asean region, particularly Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as key launchpads for their global ambitions. "Geely has announced a landmark investment in Malaysia to transform Tanjung Malim into a major automotive hub, while also pursuing collaborations in Indonesia aimed at developing a homegrown EV by 2026. "GAC and Changan are similarly increasing their presence, with Changan leveraging its manufacturing footprint in Malaysia to support regional growth and GAC introducing flagship models and supply chain capabilities at regional expos," it said in a recent note. According to BMI, the EV supply chain itself is seeing robust investment, underpinned by a drive for localisation and electrification. It added that Thailand is experiencing a surge in EV demand, with sales expected to jump over 40 per cent in 2025, supported by government incentives and the establishment of domestic battery manufacturing facilities like Amita Technology's gigafactory. In Malaysia, BMI said Geely's large-scale commitment is attracting further supply chain investments, reinforcing its position as a regional automotive manufacturing powerhouse. However, it noted that the most significant announcement of the quarter in terms of project value is Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd's investment in Indonesia. "This major gigafactory project is finally taking shape and represents another example of mainland Chinese companies leveraging Asean as a launch platform. "The project, known as the Indonesia Battery Integration Project, aims to cover the entire battery value chain—from nickel mining and processing to battery materials, manufacturing, and recycling—within the FHT Industrial complex," it said. Meanwhile, BMI reported tracking 30 new automotive manufacturing investments across Asia in the first quarter of 2025 (1Q25), with a total value of US$10.6 billion. This represents a significant decrease in the number of projects tracked from 41 in the previous quarter. BMI noted that the total investment value for projects with available information was significantly higher in 1Q24 at US$54.6 billion and also 4Q24 at US$54.6 billion. Throughout 2Q25, BMI said it saw a continued increase in the number of EV-related investments, with a number of new projects announced in the growing EV supply chain in Asian emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and mainland China. Nevertheless, BMI said the tariffs announced by the United States President Donald Trump on March 26, have had a negative impact on certainty investment patterns in Asia, especially for the automotive sector. "Reflecting this, the number of investments identified in Asia fell sharply from 41 in 1Q25 to just 30 in 2Q25. "These tariffs, aimed at protecting US national security and manufacturing, have led companies to reassess their global strategies, with Japan emerging as the most affected market," it said. BMI also noted that both Nissan's and Toyota's strategic adjustments reflect the broader recalibration among global automakers as they respond to new tariff regimes and intensifying competition in the EV market.
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Proton officially launches X50, prices from RM89,800-RM113,300
PROTON Holdings Bhd has finally announced the prices the updated X50, several weeks after it was previewed to Malaysians. The SUV comes in three variants: X50 1.5TD Flagship at RM113,300, X50 1.5TD Premium at RM101,800 and X50 1.5TD Executive at RM89,800. However, there is a RM4,000 rebate for the first 10,000 customers as part of the national carmaker's Gempak! Deal for early bird customers who register their vehicles by Oct 31. Proton said since it first hit Malaysian roads in 2020, the X50 has completely changed expectations for its class and reset goalposts with over 140,000 units sold, making it Malaysia's best-selling B-segment SUV for five consecutive years. Developed in collaboration with Geely, the SUV is a global success story, with over 1.2 million units sold across 51 countries. The latest model introduces comprehensive upgrades inside and out, offering customers an even more refined, dynamic and intelligent driving experience. "The all-new Proton X50 reflects our continuous pursuit of excellence in automotive design and technology," said Proton chief executive officer Li Chunrong at its launch on Thursday. "Our ambition is to raise the standard for the B-segment, giving Malaysian drivers an experience that is smart, spirited, and truly next-generation, Made for Malaysia, Engineered for the World!" he added. The updated X50 ushers in a new era with a striking design evolution, enhanced ADAS Level 2, and a massive 14.6-inch infotainment display. One of its standout innovations is the world's first Bahasa Melayu voice command system, a proud local-first that brings intuitive connectivity to more Malaysians in their everyday language. Under the hood, the new 1.5TD i-GT engine paired with a seven-speed DCT delivers 133 kW and 290 Nm of torque, achieving 0-100 km/h 7.6 seconds - 0.3 seconds quicker than its predecessor. Coupled with a 4.7 per cent improvement in fuel economy, it offers a perfect balance of power and efficiency. Colour-wise, Proton has added a new option called Teal Bayou Green alongside the four existing colours namely Snow White, Passion Red, Jet Grey and Armour Silver. Interior-wise, the Executive and Premium variants are draped in black although they do have different upholstery material - fabric and leatherette respectively. The Flagship variant also has leatherette upholstery but it is draped in black and red instead.
The Advertiser
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Alpine still working on large electric SUVs despite shelving US launch
Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from: Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from: Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from: Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed "we are working on [the large vehicle family] today". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have "something in the D- or E-segment" if the company is to "expand more globally". Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric "coupe" SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain "there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars". Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed. MORE: Everything Alpine Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Alpine still working on large electric SUVs despite shelving US return
Although Alpine isn't returning to the US as initially envisaged, the company is still working on two larger electric SUVs, and an electric sedan. One SUV is thought to be a model designed to take on the Porsche Cayenne, while the other SUV would be the next step up in size. The sedan is expected to be a sedan around five metres in length. Antony Villain, Alpine's chief designer, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 'we are working on [the large vehicle family] today'. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Mr Villain said it was necessary to have 'something in the D- or E-segment' if the company is to 'expand more globally'. Alpine's current European lineup consists of the A110 (bottom) mid-engine coupe, the A290 (above) — a hot version of the all-electric Renault 5 — and the A390 (below), a sporty electric 'coupe' SUV. Right now the A390 is the brand's largest car, and sits in the European C-segment. It measures 4615mm long, making it a little smaller than the first-generation Porsche Macan. As part of the Renaultion plan, Alpine was aiming to sell 150,000 globally by 2030. A key component in reaching that figure was launching in the US by 2027. In April this year, Renault indefinitely delayed Alpine's US launch due to the uncertainty around the tariff situation in the US. As it stands, the tariff on cars imported to the US from the EU will rise to 30 per cent from August 1. The EU and US are currently negotiating an agreement that sources indicate will be similar to the one agreed to with Japan, where automotive imports are taxed at 15 per cent. According to Mr Villain 'there are some other countries where they look for bigger cars'. Although the design chief wouldn't name names, the only other market where larger vehicles might sell in significant numbers is China. It's not clear how Alpine could crack the Chinese market without producing vehicles there, as fully imported vehicles incur heavy tariffs. Renault, Alpine's parent, currently doesn't sell any cars in China, but it does have a series of partnerships with Geely. The two operate a joint venture company to house their internal combustion engine development and production facilities, and Renault has access to some of Geely's platforms. Under the plan announced in 2021, Renault would produce localised — namely restyled and rebadged — versions of Geely vehicles in South Korea. Geely would in turn produce a clutch of Renault-ised Geely Group products in China. So far, the only fruit of this agreement is the made-in-South Korea Grand Koleos, which is essentially a lightly redesigned Geely Monjaro/Xingyue L. If Alpine does end up developing and producing vehicles larger than the A390, it's unclear if they will come to Australia. The brand has says it will return to Australia with the A390, but other products have yet to be confirmed.
BusinessToday
a day ago
- Automotive
- BusinessToday
Proton Launches The Refreshed X50 Featuring World's First BM Voice Command
Proton Malaysia has announced the official launch of the All-New PROTON X50, a refresh of the best-selling B-segment SUV that was first introduced in 2020. The updated model, a product of collaboration with Geely, showcases a new design, complemented by enhanced Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Level 2. A world's first Bahasa Melayu voice command system, integrating intuitive connectivity for Malaysian drivers in their native language. Under the hood, the X50 is powered by a new 1.5TD i-GT engine, which is a 1.5-liter turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder petrol engine. Paired with a 7-speed wet Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT), it delivers an impressive 133 kW (181 PS) and 290 Nm of torque, enabling a 0–100 km/h acceleration in just 7.6 seconds – a 0.3-second improvement over its predecessor. This enhanced performance comes with a 4.7% improvement in fuel economy, offering an optimal balance of power and efficiency. Notably, this new, more powerful engine is now standard across all variants, unlike the previous model which had a different engine for lower trims. The interior also sees a significant overhaul, featuring a massive 14.6-inch infotainment display and an 8.88-inch digital instrument cluster. It now supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a first for Proton. The All-New PROTON X50 is available in three well-equipped variants: Executive, Premium, and Flagship. Official Pricing and Ownership Benefits PROTON has unveiled competitive on-the-road (OTR) prices for the new X50: Variant Peninsular Malaysia East Malaysia Executive RM 89,800 RM 91,800 Premium RM 101,800 RM 103,800 Flagship RM 113,300 RM 115,300 Export to Sheets To sweeten the deal, PROTON is offering an exclusive 'GEMPAK! Deal' for the first 10,000 bookings registered by October 31, 2025. This deal includes a RM4,000 rebate, bringing the prices down significantly: Variant Peninsular Malaysia East Malaysia Executive RM 85,800 RM 87,800 Premium RM 97,800 RM 99,800 Flagship RM 109,300 RM 111,300 Export to Sheets Every purchase of the All-New PROTON X50 comes with a Standard Package, which includes a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and six complimentary labor services. The data package has also been upgraded to 5 years with 2GB/month, double the previous offering. Buyers can also benefit from attractive financing options from participating partners, with interest rates capped at 2.35% per annum for 5 years and 2.38% per annum for 7 years. Additionally, PROTON is providing up to RM2,000 in trade-in support. Related
