Chinese carmaker Chery is reportedly in the final steps of contract assembly negotiations with Inokom for the latter to assemble its models in Malaysia. This was reported by The Edge last week, with the publication also saying that the Sime Darby subsidiary was also set to locally assemble selected Jaguar Land Rover models.
The mention of Chery utilising Inokom as its local assembly partner falls in line with earlier indications that its CKD production would be in Kulim. The automaker has also previously stated that the plant that would assemble its vehicles will have a build capacity of 30,000 units a year. The Inokom assembly plant has the capacity to produce 38,000 units a year.
Chery is set to make its return to the Malaysian market later this year, with the Tiggo 8 Pro and Omoda 5 SUVs leading the way back in for the brand. Set for a Q2 introduction, the brand has updated its timeline for this, indicating that both models – which were previewed here late last year – are targeted to begin production here by the end of June, with the market launch expected to be sometime towards the end of July.
The Tiggo 8 is a seven-seat SUV that will be powered by a 2.0 litre four-cylinder TGDi turbocharged petrol engine for our market. Offering 254 hp and 390 Nm in the way of output, the mill will be paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The company has stated that a PHEV version will be introduced in Malaysia next year.
As for the Omoda 5, Malaysia will be the first right-hand drive market for the B-segment SUV. In China, the model is available with a 194 hp/290 Nm 1.6 litre turbo petrol with seven-speed DCT and AWD as well as a 154 hp/230 Nm 2WD 1.5 litre turbo petrol paired with a CVT, which was what was seen on the preview example last year.
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