Chinese cars in Malaysia: which brands sell there and since when

Malaysia is the one South-East Asian market where a Chinese group already owns part of the national champion. Zhejiang Geely Holding agreed in May 2017 to buy 49.9 per cent of Proton from DRB-Hicom, signing the definitive agreement on 23 June 2017; the same transaction gave Geely a 51 per cent controlling stake in Lotus. Proton remains a Malaysian company with a Malaysian majority owner, but its platforms, its Tanjung Malim plant utilisation and its electric line all now come through Geely.

Chinese brands sold under their own badges arrived much later and grew very quickly. They took 0.08 per cent of the Malaysian market in 2022 - 578 units out of 744,762 registrations - then 1.27 per cent in 2023, 4.01 per cent in 2024 and 7.61 per cent in 2025, reaching 8.92 per cent in the first five months of 2026. In 2025 Omoda and Jaecoo was the fifth best-selling brand in the country with 17,845 units, BYD sixth with 14,407 and Chery eighth with 12,942, all three ahead of Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Nissan. Great Wall Motor sold 5,876.

The tax rules are now pushing those brands towards local assembly. Full duty and tax exemption on imported built-up electric vehicles ended on 31 December 2025, and the Ministry of Finance said in October 2025 there would be no extension. From 1 January 2026 imported built-up electric vehicles attract 30 per cent import duty plus 10 per cent excise and 10 per cent sales tax, or 5 plus 10 plus 10 where a free trade agreement applies. Locally assembled electric vehicles stay exempt until 31 December 2027, and in March 2026 the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry named Zeekr, Xpeng and MG among the Chinese carmakers starting Malaysian assembly to keep the exemption.