Great Wall Motors aims for its local CKD program to produce 20,000 cars annually by 2028.
It would appear that the Chinese auto invasion is well and truly underway in Malaysia, with yet another Chinese automaker having the intention to set up a CKD program over here. And this time round the interested car manufacturer in question is to be Great Wall Motors (GWM), who have just recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB) to locally assemble its cars at its site in Pegoh, Melaka.
From to the MoU signed between the two parties, it is expected for the local assembly to kick start from 2024 onwards, once both sides have reached an agreement. It is further projected for this new CKD program to churn out 20,000 GWM vehicles annually by 2028, which in context is to be about as many Mitsubishis are sold in Malaysia every year.
Unfortunately, it remains to be seen what exactly these 20,000 vehicles will be locally assembled here, with GWM being strangely tight-lipped on this particular topic thus far. Both the Cannon pickup and Ora Good Cat EV hatchback are nevertheless likely front-running candidates for the CKD program, given that they are currently already on the market over here.
Given that GWM has also seen success with its local-assembly endeavours in Thailand, the Haval H6 and Jolion SUVs are also relatively safe bets for CKD production over here too. In fact, there might even be the slim chance for the macho-looking Haval Big Dog and Tank 300 4×4 or cutesy Ora Black Cat budget EV to be a considered for local assembly over here as well.
According to Great Wall Motors, this collaboration with EPMB signifies a strategic move towards advancing local vehicle assembly, aligning with the vision of the Malaysian government to enhance automotive capabilities and contribute significantly to the growth of the industry in Malaysia. The Chinese automaker is also proud to tout that it currently has a presence in all major ASEAN automotive markets, with this partnership being expected to play a significant role in further ASEAN market expansion plans.
Though in spite of GWM’s enthusiasm, it is perhaps worth pointing out that its local-assembly partner EPMB actually had signed similar CKD agreements with various other Chinese automakers in the past too, with the most notable among them being BAIC to produce the X55II and BJ40 Plus SUVs, and none of these plans have come to fruition yet. So make of it what you will with that tid-bit of information…
