Malaysia has given the world of cars many great brands, from Proton to Perodua to Lotus.
However, some of the car brands manufactured in Malaysia may have slipped under your radar.
This list will highlight 10 Malaysian car brands that you probably didn’t know were from Malaysia.
Best Malaysian Car Brands
1. Proton
Proton is an automobile manufacturer based in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, founded in 1983. It is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRB-HICOM.
Proton has been producing Malaysian car brands since 1984 and has expanded its operations to Indonesia, Vietnam, and South Africa.
Proton is not one of your more popular brands, but it does have some valuable cars for sale at various retailers around your Location.
Are you looking for a new, used car or interested in a pre-owned model of any Malaysian car brand? Check out these Proton models first!
2. Perodua
Perodua, a Malaysian company based in Shah Alam, manufactures its line of cars and vehicles.
The company produces Malaysian car brands such as Kancil and Myvi city car lines. It also imports models like Toyota’s Aygo (and Yaris) and Daihatsu’s Sirion.
Founded in 1993 by Datuk Aminar Rahman, Perodua has been a significant contender in Malaysia since its introduction to the market.
But with plans to expand into foreign markets soon, we can expect to see more of Perodua throughout South-East Asia. And possibly even further afield.
3. Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars are sold through select authorized retailers in Malaysia. Only four models of this Lotus, known to be one of the Malaysian car brands, have only four models. These models are available – Elise, Exige, Evora, and 3-Eleven.
Lotus’ entry-level model is priced at RM519,888 (without road tax). Also, its flagship track-special Exige S costs RM858,888 (without road tax).
The Malaysian arm of Lotus was officially opened on 1 December 2012 with seven dealerships nationwide and planned to open more.
4. Jayakarta Motor Manufacturing (JMM)
Jakarta Motor Manufacturing (JMM) was a Malaysian brand of cars and lorries. The company first went into production in 1982, and its first model was an off-road vehicle called Pungkuang.
However, as there were no off-road events in Malaysia, JMM decided to diversify into road-going cars.
It then became one of many firms that have tried and failed to compete with established national marques Proton and Perodua.
5. Xtrail Motor Company Sdn. Bhd
The Xtrail Motor Company Sdn. Bhd. is one of the Malaysian car brands. It is based in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
It is also a joint venture between Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan and Hyundai Motor Company of South Korea.
The company sells Mitsubishi-Hyundai products through its dealerships in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and now its home country.
It also directly imports Hyundai models to sell them in ASIAN countries like Indonesia, Singapore,e, and others. Its current chairman is Dr.
6. Inokom
Founded in 1972, Inokom became a fully-fledged car manufacturer as part of Malaysian car brands.
Their first model was a four-door station wagon based on an Isuzu truck platform called Inokom Matrix.
Isuzu marketed the exact model under its original name, and it was available both as right-hand drive and left-hand drive configurations.
The company is now defunct, but they have produced some exciting models like vans, buses, and trucks that are still sought after.
Some of their buses have been exported to Germany, where they used them as ambulances. Today, some of their defunct models can be found on used car lots here in KL.
7. Lifan Motors
Lifan is a Chinese brand produced in Dongfeng, China. Lifan has been around since 1984.
It was one of China’s first auto manufacturers to join a joint venture with other foreign auto companies in Malaysia.
Since then, they have been regarded as one of the Malaysian car brands. However, Lifan did not build any of its cars until 1997, when it launched its X60 model.
The company’s first model featured a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine capable of producing 90 horsepower.
To date, Lifan Motors has exported more than two million vehicles to more than 150 countries worldwide!
8. Bufori
Bufori is a British-Japanese luxury sports car company. The company was founded in 2014 by Malaysian entrepreneurs Datuk Jaspal Singh and Christopher Delforce.
This made it fall into the class of Malaysian car brands. Its first model was launched in 2017 and is manufactured in Japan, with some assembly taking place in Malaysia.
Bufori is currently establishing its manufacturing base within Kedah’s industrial park at Sungai Petani, where it has a factory to assemble high-performance sports cars.
9. NAM
NAM (New Automobile Manufacturer) is part of the prominent Malaysian car brands. It is a brand of automobile based in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
NAM is sold in India by Tata Motors with an engine capacity of 2500 cc and 1800 cc. The current range of NAM consists of a single model.
It is also manufactured in Indonesia by PT Astra International Tbk (Astra). The case was sold as the Opel Monza Classic in some European countries between 2007-2010 as a retro-style sports hatchback.
Conclusion
Malaysia has become a leading Asian country in terms of industrialization and modernization. Malaysian car brands have been recognized as one the best brands.
Several major foreign auto manufacturers have started making cars in Malaysia. These include Volvo, Proton, Lotus, Honda and Suzu, ki, etc.
Malaysians are also highly developed in the electronics and communications sector. They also do exceptionally well when it comes to producing ships and helicopters.
