Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2022 - All about EVs

KUALA LUMPUR: The first quarter of 2022 has just come to an end, before the industry takes a breather in conjunction with the fasting month of Ramadhan.

As always, the month before the fasting month is always the busiest as most manufacturers will have a new product launch or at least a sales campaign launch before the festive season arrives.

That being said, March began in a very extravagant manner with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia launching not one but two new ultra-luxurious Maybach models – the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 which are priced at RM 976,230 and RM 1.78 million respectively.

These million-dollar cars aside, Honda Malaysia also introduced the new and updated Honda Odyssey on the same day. Featuring a fresh design and improved safety with features like Honda Sensing among others, the new 2022 Honda Odyssey is priced at RM 275,311 on the road without insurance.

The first week of March also saw the Lamborghini brand making a comeback in Malaysia with the unveiling of a brand new showroom and service centre in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.

In conjunction with the occasion, the company also launched the Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4 Ultimate with an asking price of RM 1.8 million.

The busiest manufacturer in March was definitely Mercedes-Benz. A week after launching the two Maybach models, the company announced the introduction of the upgraded GLA, GLB, and A-Class, all of which now come with new features like wireless charging, active lane keep assist, and automatic high-beam among others.

Just one week later, the company launched its first EV in Malaysia in the form of the Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 which is available in one variant with a price of RM 278,201. Capable of covering up to 430 km per charge, the EQA can be fully charged between 32 minutes and 5 hours depending on the charger.

The EQA wasn’t the only EV to debut in March as Hyundai welcomed the Ioniq 5 which is a direct rival to the German EV above. Priced between RM 199,888 and RM 259,888, the Ioniq 5 is offered in two variants with a driving range that stands between 384 km and 430 km depending on variant.

The company also mentioned that it is planning to assemble the EQA locally in the near future.

The first locally assembled EV in Malaysia , the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric was also unveiled in March. While its price is yet to be announced, the company said that the car will be ready at all showrooms for customers in April.

Alongside the EV variant, the new XC40 was also launched, featuring a few cosmetic enhancements and new features.

BMW was also quite busy in March with all the new i Charging facilities the company is installing at dealerships nationwide. Besides the charging stations, the company also announced that the iX3, which is basically the electric X3, is now open for booking.

Speaking of local assembly, Porsche started the CKD operations for the Cayenne in Kulim, Kedah in March as well, making Malaysia the first country outside Europe to assemble a Porsche. The price of the Cayenne CKD starts at RM 550,000.

As for the 4x4 segment, Ford launched a special edition version of the Ranger called the XLT Plus Special Edition priced at RM 136,888. Featuring some cosmetic and connectivity enhancements, the Ranger XLT Plus Special Edition comes with a five-year or 160,000 km warranty.

Those who are in the market for a seven-seater SUV were greeted by the new Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace which was launched at the PACE Autoshow a couple of weeks ago. Offered in two variants priced at RM 174,746 and RM 219,444, the SUV features a tweaked design, improved safety, and upgraded connectivity.

In the motorsports arena, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival also returned for the fifth time. The first round of 2022 was successfully wrapped up with many young racers emerging victorious. As exciting as it is, the event is still closed due to the ongoing pandemic.

Last but not the least, Mazda announced the introduction of the upgraded Mazda3, CX-30, and CX-3 which now come with improved connectivity, new colours, and even new variants. As anticipated, the new features have resulted in slightly increased prices.

Bikes

The world of two-wheelers were also quite eventful in March, as the month began with Yamaha unveiling the new Yamaha XMAX 250 scooter which is priced at RM 21,998. New for 2022 are a few cosmetic enhancements and new graphics.

The company also launched the latest version of Malaysia’s favourite Yamaha 135LC FI which comes with a new engine, new design, and new features. Two variants are available with prices starting from RM 7,798.

A couple of days after Yamaha launched the new XMAX 250, Boon Siew Honda announced that the new 2022 Honda RS150R is now going on sale in Malaysia with a price of RM 8,299 excluding taxes. Powered by a new Euro-4 engine, the bike also gets new graphics for 2022.

While Honda and Yamaha only launched upgraded models in March, Suzuki went all out and unveiled three all-new 150 cc models which are the Suzuki Raider R150, GSX-S150, and the GSX-R150 which are here to give models like the Yamaha Y15ZR a run for its money.

The month of March also saw Harley-Davidson Malaysia making its way into the Malaysian Book of Records after setting a new record for the largest Harley-Davidson gathering in Malaysia with 902 bikes.

Also read: Maserati Levante S launched in Malaysia