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While it’s noteworthy that Pekan (in Pahang) is now the first production site outside of Germany to put together a Golf R, this has come about following the local assembly of the Mk8-generation Golf GTI which began last year. Given the high level of commonality between the two models, it makes business sense even if the combined sales volume isn’t likely to set sales charts alight. Of course, more Golf-based models could spawn from this investment as well.
Being a CKD model, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is likely awaiting confirmation from the authorities on the MSRP of the Golf R, hence the indicative pricing of between RM330,000 to RM350,000 to facilitate order-taking. RM350K may not strike as a bargain when the fully-imported Mk8 Golf R was introduced at under RM360K back in February 2022, but do consider that the price sailed above the RM400K mark when sales tax was reintroduced earlier this year and also the post-pandemic inflation which afflicted the automotive industry.
Further justifying the indicated price is an equipment level that’s notably higher on the locally assembled Golf R as it comes fitted with R Performance package goodies such as 19-inch Estoril alloys, more playful drive modes, an extended rear wing and a lightweight, titanium exhaust system by Akrapovic. The CKD Golf R also gets the IQ.Drive suite of active safety nannies and even a driver’s heads-up display. The all-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf R has a rated output of 320hp and 400Nm, it does 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds. #VolkswagenMalaysia #GolfR
While Tesla is hogging the headlines of late, legacy carmakers are pushing on with their own EV agendas in Malaysia with even more new models and variants. The i4 eDrive35 is the latest addition to BMW's i4 range which already encompass the eDrive40 and M50. It comes in two guises -- Standard and M Sport; battery capacity (70.3kWh), range (483km WLTP) and output (286hp/400Nm) are the same for the two variants which are largely differentiated in trim levels.
Duty exempted retail prices are RM258,210 and RM284,210 for the Standard and M Sport respectively, or RM273,800 and RM299,800 if you add on the extended warranty and service package. #BMWMalaysia #BMWi4eDrive35
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
Given how Elon Musk loves to thumb his nose at conventions, maybe it wasn’t that big of a shock how Tesla has chosen to price their vehicles in Malaysia. At RM199,000 for the base Model Y (flagship tops out at RM288,000), Tesla has practically rewritten the rulebook as to how much electric vehicles should cost in this country.
When you consider that the Model 3 – a mid-sized sedan one rung below the Y in the hierarchy – is set to be even more affordable than its crossover sibling, every car company peddling EVs in Malaysia, from mainstream to premium, is going to have to go back to their respective drawing boards.
For context, a BYD Atto 3 starts at RM149,800, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 from RM207,808 and a BMW iX3 at RM307,160. How much would you pay for an EV if you can get into a Model 3...for the sake of speculation, at RM170K?
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙚𝙨𝙡𝙖
We can debate till the cows come home whether Tesla is a premium automaker in the mould of Mercedes-Benz or BMW, and we can likewise debate whether Tesla products are necessarily superior to those from the competition, but since mass production began in 2012 with the Model S, the brand has cultivated a cult-like following much like that of Apple’s, the fervour of which transcends traditional notions of what's premium and what's not.
Tesla has clearly opted not to price the Model Y in Malaysia based on its perceived premium-ness. As an upstart in one of the most cut-throat industries in the world, Tesla cowboy-ed their way to success by not adopting business models of legacy automakers. It eschewed swanky showrooms and sidestepped dealers by selling directly to customers, and investing heavily in infrastructure. More recently in April, Tesla lowered the prices of its vehicles “to enable affordability at scale”, something unheard of from legacy automakers.
The Apple-esque appeal of the Tesla brand coupled with attractive pricing in Malaysia is a potent combination that will take some beating. The saving grace for competitors is that it’ll take some time for Tesla to fulfil these orders as deliveries are only slated for early 2024. But with production running at full steam at its Shanghai Gigafactory, don’t bet against them arriving earlier than promised. #TeslaMalaysia