The real Chinese rival to Tesla, XPeng is planning to expand into right-hand drive (RHD) markets in 2024. It made its ASEAN debut at the recent 2024 Bangkok Motor Show though the models on display were left-hand drive units.

Besides Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong were among the markets XPeng stated it would like to enter. An agreement with Bermaz has been signed for the Mazda and Kia distributors to be the Chinese BEV maker’s representative in Malaysia.

Another Malaysian representative has also been announced as a XPeng distributor albeit for Hong Kong as the company announced it has formed a partnership with Sime Darby to distribute cars in the financial hub.

Sime Darby is also the distributor for BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, Peugeot, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi in Hong Kong.

In a statement by XPeng, the Malaysian company plans to open a flagship store in Hong Kong as well as introduce RHD units of the G6 SUV and X9 MPV in the third quarter of the year (Q3 2024).

Based in Guangzhou, XPeng which is named after its founder and CEO, He Xiaopeng, is partly owned by the Volkswagen Group. It is known for its advanced smart driving technology which could be more intelligent than Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD).

Readers should be accustomed to the XPeng G6 which is touted to be the company’s first RHD model and likely the first to make its way to Malaysia too. The G6 rivals the Tesla Model Y and has up to 356 PS/660 Nm with a maximum CLTC-rated range of 755 km.

Prices for the G6 in China start from CNY 209,900 (~RM 139k) which is around 20% cheaper than the Model Y which is priced from CNY 263,900 (~RM 174k).

Meanwhile, the XPeng X9 is the company’s newest model which was launched earlier this year. It is a fully electric 7-seater (2+2+3) MPV that is significantly larger than the Toyota Alphard and Kia Carnival measuring 5,293 mm in length.

Sitting on the SEPA 2.0 architecture, the X9 comes standard with an active rear-wheel steering system and an intelligent dual-chamber air suspension system.

Two powertrains are offered – a single front-mounted motor (320 PS/450 Nm) or a pair of electric motors on each axle (Combined: 503 PS/640 Nm). Two battery options are also available: an 84.5-kWh LFP pack or a 101.5-kWh NMC battery pack.

The X9 has a maximum range of 702 km (CLTC) and is available in 4 variants in China priced between CNY 359,800 to CNY 419,800 (~RM 237k-277k).

Also read: Bermaz confirmed to launch XPeng in Malaysia