The first-ever electric Suzuki vehicle will be sold in Malaysia before the end of next year.
Yesterday was the Malaysian launch of the India-produced 5-door Suzuki Jimny. At the launch Q&A session, we checked to see how Naza Eastern Motors was affected by the recent shift in Suzuki’s ASEAN strategy. The answer that we got hinted that Suzuki would probably not re-enter the mass market in Malaysia so many India and Indonesia-made models may be completely absent here. On the plus side, they are planning more consistent model introductions to our market including an electric vehicle.
Suzuki currently does NOT sell any battery electric vehicles, however it has been strongly suggested that the brand’s first EV will be a production version of the eVX Concept. This will likely be made in India and imported to our market. One indication that this might be the case is the time of the introduction. Naza Eastern Motors suggested that their first electric vehicle will arrive in Malaysia in Q4 2025 which is just before the expiry of tax exemptions in the country.
Whether this will later translate to locally-assembled electric vehicles to maintain tax-free pricing will really depend on a lot of factors including government policy on electric vehicles starting 2026. The future Suzuki eVX might be only offered with tax free pricing for the final quarter of 2025 in Malaysia before being hit with taxes in 2025. This would allow Naza Eastern Motors to collect orders from firm customers and quickly convert those orders into sales before the government clamps down.
How successful would an Indian-made Suzuki EV be in Malaysia? It’s hard to say. The Chinese seem to have a massive leg up on EVs thanks to their mastery of the battery supply chain and advanced production techniques in a very mature and competitive domestic market that fully encourages the adoption of electrified vehicles. The Japanese in stark contrast have yet to make a significant impact on the EV market and in fact have been seen to lag behind the industry at large.
Perhaps a Suzuki eVX in the low RM1XX,XXXs might find about 100-200 buyers in Malaysia. Or perhaps an electric Jimny will be rushed to production before 2025 and that will for sure find a healthy number of collectors.
