Stellantis Eyes 30 Dealerships by End 2024, Leapmotor C10 Coming in Q4

Stellantis plans to expand Peugeot’s dealer network to 30 while preparing for the arrival of the Leapmotor C10 later in Q4.

Multinational automotive conglomerate Stellantis has a pretty elaborate plan for its expansion in our market via its newly-established local arm, Stellantis Malaysia. In an exclusive interview with New Straits Times (NST), Stellantis Malaysia managing director Jamie Morais unveils some of the firm’s expansion plans following its 100th day of operation.

First things first, Stellantis Malaysia is planning to double the current Peugeot’s dealer network from 14 outlets to 30 by the end of this year. With the 14 existing outlets located in key locations within the Peninsula Malaysia region, the firm is slated to expand its network further to the East Malaysia region, with its first Sabah outlet set to open later in this quarter.

Morais also added that the firm is giving dealers some time for renovation and upgrade work, as next year all the dealerships will be standardised and carry the same brand corporate image.

Stellantis Malaysia MD Jamie Morais

"We believe this will strengthen the brand's local presence as well as give customers the confidence that Stellantis and Peugeot are here to stay," Morais told NST.

Since the official establishment of its national sales company (NSC) in March, Stellantis Malaysia has taken over the management of sales, aftersales, and brand marketing for Peugeot in Malaysia. A few months later, the firm has successfully worked on reducing 7,000 open part line items to 499, while at the same time taking ownership of over 2,500 open cases and successfully reducing them down to only 117.

Peugeot 408 fastback crossover launched back in April 2024.

As for the sales volume, Morais stated that the firm has recorded a positive month-to-month (MoM) sales growth of more than 100%, with its newly-launched, locally assembled (CKD) Peugeot 408 fastback crossover leading the pack as the brand’s best-selling model. Revealed publicly for the first time during the Malaysia Autoshow (MAS) earlier this year, the 408 has charted positive booking numbers, building good momentum that the brand can capitalise on.

"We want to continue capitalising on the momentum by ensuring we have a healthy order bank and stocks to meet customer demands, as we believe the current Peugeot models cater to the current market trends of crossovers and SUVs," Morais added.

Besides Peugeot and Citroen, Stellantis Malaysia will also introduced Leapmotor into our market.

Beyond the Silver Lion marque, Stellantis Malaysia also plans to introduce more brands under its vast portfolio into our market, notably both Citroen and its newly acquired Chinese partner, Leapmotor. Before the French automaker makes its Malaysian market re-entry, Stellantis Malaysia will bring Leapmotor into our market first, with the Leapmotor C10 EV SUV slated to make its debut later in Q4 this year.

"We will bring in Leapmotor C10, which uniquely sits in its own segment and is Leapmotor's first global model," he said.

A little walkthrough on the C10, this mid-size EV SUV is Leapmotor’s first global product, where it will be available in both right-hand drive (RHD) and left-hand drive (LHD) forms. Underpinning Leapmotor’s LEAP 3.0 platform with an 800-volt battery architecture, the C10 can harness a battery pack of up to 69.9-kWh, which allows for an WLTP range of 420 KM. Power is provided by either a single-motor RWD or a dual-motor AWD version, delivering total system outputs ranging from 228 HP to 335 HP.

Moving forward, Stellantis is slated to open a regional parts hub in Malaysia, which is expected to improve and streamline the parts distribution for both the Malaysian market and the whole ASEAN region.