BYD Sime Motors has published a rather peculiar post on its Facebook and Instagram accounts yesterday. It comes in the form of a brief video that depicts an unknown creature “walking” on BYD Cars Malaysia’s Instagram page.
The actual creature was not shown in the video – instead, it was represented by a set of footprints. After several steps, the remark “Don’t worry, be capy =)” appears before the video finishes off with a “Coming Soon” remark.
So, what is this video all about? The word “capy” could be a reference to the capybara, but ultimately, is this video hinting at a new BYD model for Malaysia?
The last time a completely new BYD model made its way to Malaysia was the Sealion 7, which was launched last November. Of course, some may consider the Atto 3 Ultra as a “new” offering since the EV was announced in March but frankly speaking, Atto 3 Ultra is a lighly refreshed model.
With that, perhaps it is high time for BYD and Sime Motors to launch a new model in Malaysia, although we can’t seem to decipher the teaser video. Nevertheless, we have shortlisted three BYD models that have some potential to make their way to Malaysia based on the developments in other right-hand drive (RHD) markets around Southeast Asia, as well as rumours within our market.
BYD Atto 2: tested in Thailand, rumour mill’s current choice
Our prime candidate is the BYD Atto 2, which is known as the Yuan Up in China. The RHD version of the EV has previously been spotted in Thailand, although Atto 2 still has not yet been launched there or any market in Southeast Asia until today.
That being said, we have been hearing chatter within the industry that this B-segment SUV has been earmarked for release in Malaysia. If it does make its way here, we believe that Atto 2 will likely replace Dolphin.
The hatchback is a great EV, but it may have lost its appeal when Proton e.MAS 7 arrives in the market, which offers more space and performance at the same price point. While Atto 2’s performance and range might be lower than the Dolphin, it has more space since it is a larger vehicle.
BYD Sealion 6 DM-i: already on its way to Singapore
Not everyone is ready to make the jump to BEV, and for this set of customers, a hybrid powertrain might be a more appealing option to them. If BYD and Sime Motors want to capture their attention (and money), the Sealion 6 DM-i might do the trick.
Interestingly enough, this plug-in hybrid SUV will be launched in Singapore later this month. In fact, a number of Singaporean media outlets have been testing the Sealion 6 DM-i recently on…as you guess it, Malaysian roads.
Similar to Malaysia, Sime Motors is also the official distributor of BYD passenger vehicles in Singapore. Perhaps, the company can lobby BYD to expand the availability of Sealion 6 DM-I to Malaysia which has a much bigger market size than Singapore.
Not to forget, the Sealion 6 DM-i has been available in Thailand since last year. Over there, the model is assembled locally at BYD’s plant in Rayong.
BYD Seagull: a long shot
A report recently claimed that BYD Seagull, which is the brand’s smallest vehicle, might be heading to Indonesia soon. Also known as Dolphin Surf in the Europe and Dolphin Mini in Latin America, the EV might be made available there with a starting price of around RM52,149 (IDR200 million).
For a BYD Seagull to make sense in Malaysia, it also has to be priced at under RM100,000. This is because the Malaysian government has imposed the RM100,000 floor price policy on imported brand-new EVs.
However, BYD have to locally assemble Seagull in Malaysia if the company want to price it for under RM100,000. We haven’t heard any plans from BYD to assemble Seagull or any of its EVs in Malaysia so far, hence this is probably a long shot.
Is BYD Sime teasing a new EV model for Malaysia? What could it be?
News Reports PH
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