Xpeng G6 facelift seen in Malaysia again, this time with trade plates – EV SUV to be brand’s first CKD model?

The Xpeng G6 facelift has been spotted in Malaysia yet again, this time by paultan.org reader Najmi Afiq. Still wrapped in camouflage but now wearing trade plates, the refreshed electric SUV was spotted near Ampang Waterfront and strongly indicates a local launch happening soon.

We’ve already gotten up close with the facelifted G6 at this year’s Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS), which is also where Xpeng revealed the made-in-Indonesia X9. The G6 is set to become the next locally-assembled (CKD) model in the country, as indicated by the Chinese carmaker earlier this year.

As for our market, we were told in March following the launch of the X9 that any CKD plans are still being explored. At the time, Bermaz Auto group CEO Datuk Francis Lee Kok Chuan said Bermaz Xpeng, the local distributor of the brand in Malaysia, is currently working with Xpeng to come up with a CKD programme but did not name which model would be the first to roll off the line here.

At present, fully-imported (CBU) EVs are exempted from import and excise duties until the end of 2025, while CKD EVs enjoy excise duty and sales tax exemption until December 31, 2027. The G6 is currently a CBU EV priced from RM168,820 to RM188,820 (up by RM3,000 each; on-the-road without insurance), so it would make sense that it becomes a CKD offering to remain price competitive. Could the G6 be the first CKD Xpeng model to go on sale here? We can only speculate for now.

The refreshed G6 in China comes in three variants, two of which come with a larger 68.5-kWh LFP battery for up to 625 km of range following China’s CLTC standard. The remaining top variant gets a downsized 80.8-kWh LFP battery for up to 725 km CLTC.

All variants come standard with rear electric motor making 296 PS (292 hp or 218 kW) and 450 Nm. Comparatively, the pre-facelift model’s battery capacities and CLTC ranges are 66 kWh/580 km and 87.5 kWh/755 km. The newer G6’s 800-volt charging multiplier has also been boosted from 3C to 5C, with a 10-80% SoC said to take 12 minutes now.

Meanwhile, the pre-facelift G6 in Malaysia is available as either a Standard Range 2WD (66 kWh LFP, 435 km WLTP) or Long Range 2WD (87.5 kWh NMC, 570 km WLTP). The former’s rear electric motor makes 258 PS (255 hp or 190 kW) and 440 Nm, while the latter is rated at 286 PS (282 hp or 210 kW) and 440 Nm.

Besides the cars, Xpeng is looking to reinforce its local team in Malaysia, as it posted a job opening on LinkedIn three weeks ago for the role of country manager. While the job description does not mention anything related to local assembly, it does state a lot of regional work is required – Lee did touch upon the possibility of a “CKD exchange” with Indonesia at the X9 launch.

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