Stellantis Malaysia begins operations – new Peugeot distributor says 408 coming in Q2, teases new brands

Following on from Bermaz Auto Alliance’s (BAA) announcement last week, new Peugeot franchise holder Stellantis Malaysia has now announced it had begun operations last Friday, March 1. Stellantis is, of course, Peugeot’s parent company, and its national sales company (NSC) has wasted no time detailing its strategy in the region.

The NSC, which directs and manages Stellantis’ marketing, sales, distribution and after-sales in Malaysia, says its creation is part of the group’s growth ambitions in ASEAN and is in line with its electrification plans and its global Dare Forward 2030 strategy.

“Stellantis Malaysia is an exciting start and new business chapter for us here in Malaysia,” said Stellantis Malaysia managing director Jamie Francis Morais. “Our priorities are four-pronged – accelerating market growth, expanding product portfolio, creating new dealership opportunities nationwide, and subsequently providing improved customer experience. This includes expanding our dealer network nationwide and building a stronger presence in East Malaysia.”

To that end, the company recently held an investor day at its Gurun, Kedah plant, showcasing the vehicles it plans to bring to the Malaysian market. This included the latest Peugeot 408, which the company says will be launched in the second quarter of the year, as well as the locally-assembled Landtrek pick-up truck. No e-2008 there, but we do spot the new third-generation e-3008, which was revealed to the world in September.

More notable is the fact that Stellantis Malaysia showed more than Peugeots at the event. The lineup of cars from elsewhere in Stellantis’ portfolio included a Citroën C3 Aircross, Jeep Wrangler and, curiously enough, the Alfa Romeo Tonale.

The company provided more hints of its plan to bring in additional brands in its confirmation it will invest over RM2 billion in the Gurun plant. The facility, earmarked as a regional manufacturing hub for Malaysia and ASEAN export markets, will be capable of producing vehicles built on the modular STLA Medium platform for ICE, mild hybrid and fully-electric vehicles. It is specifically mentioned that this will open doors for Gurun to build cars from other brands such as Jeep and Citroën, which is a pretty tantalising prospect.

It was announced in November that Stellantis would take over the Peugeot franchise from BAA – initially a joint venture between Bermaz and Berjaya Auto, before the latter relinquished it stake in 2021 – which inherited the franchise from Naza back in late 2020. “We thank Bermaz Auto for their efforts as the custodians of the Peugeot brand in Malaysia since December 2020,” said Morais.

“With the establishment of Stellantis Malaysia, we are committed to continuing the growth of Peugeot and the prospects of bringing in a wider range of vehicles from other brands under the Stellantis portfolio whilst focusing on enhancing the lives of our customers through our products and services. We will start with a focus on Peugeot, which is a dynamic and innovative brand that possesses an alluring line-up that we are very excited about,” he added.

A one-step call centre was set up on the same day for Peugeot, Citroën and DS owners, offering 24-hour roadside assistance. Customers can dial 1800-18-STLA (7852) or email [email protected] for any enquiries.

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