Not everyone can live with an EV as this is why hybrid SUV’s are gaining popularity
The arrival of ‘Made In China’ automotive brands in ASEAN nations since the end of Covid-19 lockdown has seen a rise in choices for ASEAN vehicle buyers.
First to arrive were the electric vehicles. From BYD to Chery to Great Wall Motor, the number of models and variants gave new car buyers much needed choice to get into emission free motoring and more importantly, a ‘TAX FREE’ vehicle.
Yes, it was the “TAX FREE’ incentive that was the No.1 reason why a majority of electric vehicle buyers rushed to get a fully imported, technology filled emission free vehicle in their garage.
Until the arrival of electric vehicles, all cars, imported or local assembled have been subjected to a high import taxes ….. in fact, Malaysia has the worlds 3rd highest taxes on vehicles (Singapore and Hong Kong take the top 2 spots).
So, with ZERO taxes, some Malaysians rushed to get shiny new electric cars and others waited to see how the battery charging network progressed nationwide.
Meanwhile, there was a group of car buyers who were not yet ready to own an electric vehicle because they were unsure about resale values, battery charging network, after sales, maintenance parts availability and long term reliability. So, this group of new car buyers needed hybrid technology.
Well, we all know that Honda and Toyota have been providing hybrid vehicles in ASEAN for decades and Nissan also had a few models. Mazda on the other hand reinvented the combustion engine and released SKYACTIV technology that saved fuel whist delivering very decent driving dynamics.
However, Chinese auto manufacturers saw the rising trend in hybrid vehicle sales and so they decided to release a range of hybrid vehicles to challenge the established hybrid manufacturers from Japan and also Europe.
Suddenly, even electric car manufacturers, like BYD looked at hybrid engines and the release of new, high technology hybrid vehicles arrived in Malaysia with hard to ignore selling prices, features and even looks. Yes, these were handsome looking vehicles that brought ASEAN vehicle buyers into their showrooms.
To start we had GREAT WALL MOTOR (GWM) launching the HAVAL H6 Hybrid (HEV) which is powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor pairing, with the latter integrated into a two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT). Combined system output is quoted at 243 PS and 530 Nm of torque, with a combined fuel consumption figure of just 5.2 litres per 100km which means a possible 1,000km of driving on a full tank of petrol.
This RM139,800 large SUV (largest in its segment) comes with an amazing 10-year, 1,000,000km warranty on the petrol engine plus an 8-year, 1,000,000km warranty on the HEV system.
Following in the heels of the Haval H6 Hybrid is the JAECOO J7 PHEV (2WD) which will be launched in Malaysia in February 2025 (next month).
This latest JAECOO SUV has just done a ‘motoring media run’ from Singapore, through Malaysia to Hatyai, Thailand, to test the limits of this J7’s driving range. The long-distance course resulted in all five J7’s surpassing the 1,200km WLTP range, with the longest range recorded at an impressive 1,427.5km.
On this three-nation long-haul drive, the JAECOO J7 PHEV surpassed its specifications by covering a distance of 947km purely on petrol and achieving a purely electric range of 108km, 18km more than its given specifications. The test drive tested the JAECOO J7 PHEV’s fuel consumption which resulted in 3.5L/100km, surpassing its standard of 6.6L/100km.
The J7 powertrain is made up of three core components, there is a fifth generation 1.5TGDI dedicated hybrid petrol fed engine, a continuously variable dedicated hybrid transmission, and a high-performance dedicated hybrid battery pack.
The selling price has not been shared to date, but we are taking a guess that it will be VERY close to the selling price of the RM139k Haval H6 Hybrid.
Incidentally, there are more petrol powered hybrids coming from Chinese auto manufacturers in the coming months and their selling prices, driving distance on a tank of fuel and cabin technology will have more Malaysians taking ownership.
