In an effort to provide the best services to customers, Stellantis Malaysia has recently launched a showroom and service center, located in Desa Park City and Subang, respectively.
These new facilities will be part of the dealer network serving the areas of Subang Jaya, Jalan Klang Lama, and Desa Park City.
The Desa Park City showroom, operated by Allure Auto, is situated in a strategic location and offers an engaging experience through exhibitions of Peugeot and Leapmotor vehicles.
It also features a modern lounge complete with a TV and interactive configurations, as well as other amenities such as beverages and coffee for a pleasant customer visit.
The Allure Auto showroom operates daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Meanwhile, the Subang service center spans 5,702 square feet, providing six car service bays and two drop-off areas.
It offers maintenance facilities for high-voltage electric vehicles and advanced technology all under one roof.
Customers can benefit from comprehensive after-sales solutions, including spare parts, service, and warranty support provided by five qualified technicians and service advisors from Stellantis.
A 24/7 helpline is also available to ensure customers receive prompt technical assistance.
Isaac Yeo, Interim Managing Director for ASEAN at Stellantis, said, “At Stellantis, we are committed to setting a new benchmark in automotive excellence.
“Through our collaboration with Allure Auto, we have developed a world-class hub that demonstrates our dedication to enhancing the customer experience and providing top-notch after-sales service.
“With four outlets in their portfolio, this expansion exemplifies our innovative spirit and dedication to delivering a dynamic and customer-focused experience,” he explained.
The Peugeot 408 was launched in the Malaysian market in April last year with three variants to choose from, namely Allure, Premium, and GT, priced at RM146,055, RM166,055, and RM196,055 respectively.
All three variants are powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged PureTech four-cylinder engine that produces 218 PS and 300 Nm of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.
Of course, the key difference between these three variants lies in their equipment levels. In this article, we will compare between the Premium and GT variants, and why this writer thinks the Premium is a better proposition than the GT.
It is more affordable
No matter how you slice it, RM196,055 for a C-segment car is quite unreasonable. In this context, the Premium variant appears to be a smarter and more sensible investment.
Indeed, with the GT variant, you receive an array of additional features such as Matrix LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, Nappa leather upholstery, massage and memory functions for the driver’s seat, a 10-speaker Focal audio system, and more. However, in my opinion, the equipment included with the Premium is sufficient to meet the needs of buyers in this segment.
It is cheaper to maintain
All 408 variants are powered by the same engine; however, by choosing the Premium variant, you may save your bank account in the future, as it comes with 18-inch wheels instead of the 20-inch ones found on the GT.
Of course, tyres do not need to be replaced every year, but the price difference between 18-inch and 20-inch tyres can be quite significant, which can be seen as a worthwhile saving in the long run. Plus, the Premium wheels look so much better than the GT’s.
It is more practical
Another advantage of the Premium variant over the GT is its boot capacity, which can be expanded from 536 litres to 1,611 litres (compared to 1,583 litres in the GT), given that it does not include a subwoofer.
Additionally, it also comes with a space-saver spare tyre instead of the tyre repair kit that is included with the GT.
Now you can see that the highest variant does not necessarily mean it is the best choice. However, ultimately, the decision is yours.
Cycle & Carriage (C&C) Cheras has now become the first C&C showroom to showcase the Peugeot brand alongside a lineup of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The inauguration ceremony was officiated by Thomas Tok, CEO of Cycle & Carriage; Linda Jackson, CEO of Peugeot; Daniel Gonzalez as the COO of Stellantis ASEAN, and Jamie Morais, the Managing Director of Stellantis Malaysia.
The exhibition center located on the first floor spans 4,655 square feet where customers can view Peugeot models such as the 408, 2008, 3008, 5008, and the Landtrek pickup truck, as well as a comfortable café space.
It is open daily from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, or from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM every Sunday.
Cycle & Carriage also offers exclusive promotions in conjunction with the opening of this Peugeot showroom, where customers can enjoy savings of up to RM30,000 for the Landtrek model, up to RM40,000 for the 3008 model, and up to RM42,000 for the 5008 model.
In addition to Cheras, Cycle & Carriage will introduce the Peugeot brand at C&C Batu Caves and C&C George Town exhibition centers, as well as more branches nationwide in the near future.
Stellantis Malaysia has announced the opening of the Allure Auto sales center located on Jalan Klang Lama, doubling as the first multi-brand showroom in Malaysia.
The dealership will house new Peugeot models alongside the recently launched Leapmotor brand and its all-new electric SUV, the Leapmotor C10.
This 1S sales center has ample space to display up to five vehicles at a time, in addition to providing comfortable customer areas, vehicle distribution space, and interactive displays.
The Jalan Klang Lama Allure Auto 1S center will be supported by a 2S center (service and spare parts) located in USJ1, shared with Peugeot Subang Jaya.
The facility will be staffed with certified Stellantis technicians, in addition to serving as a hub for major repairs and high-voltage system maintenance, body and paint repairs, diagnostics, and general maintenance.
To ensure smooth support for existing Peugeot customers, Allure Auto will collaborate with nearby authorized Peugeot distributors to handle any technical issues and provide comprehensive after-sales solutions.
According to Stellantis Malaysia’s CEO, Jamie Francis Morais, “I am delighted to introduce our first multi-brand distribution center in Malaysia designed to showcase various Peugeot vehicles and the new electric SUV, Leapmotor C10.
“Allure Auto has been an excellent distributor, and the second outlet (more to come in the future) demonstrates their commitment to offering an exceptional brand experience to our customers and expanding our network nationwide.”
If you grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s, you must probably have seen the Fiat Ulysse. It was one of the popular mid-size MPVs in our country at that time, alongside the Toyota Estima, Nissan Serena, and Honda Odyssey. This was the era before the arrival of luxury mobile refrigerators like the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire.
The author himself remembers a family in the housing estate where he grew up owning a Fiat Ulysse. The author was quite intrigued by its unique design, such as its roof rack being slightly different from its competitors.
It had two silver crossbars, unlike the usual two black longitudinal rails. Perhaps this was a European design feature. The front lights were slightly dark or smoked, a characteristic also found in other Fiat models of that time.
An European-style MPV
Fiat Ulysse actually had several generations, but what we want to talk about today is the first generation released from 1994 to 2002. Ulysse was designed to combine the practicality of a wagon and the comfort of a sedan. It had a boxy shape, large front mirrors, and two sliding rear doors.
Interestingly, these sliding rails were hidden, providing a clean surface on the sides. The large rear hatch had a low “lip” for easy loading and unloading of items. It featured power steering, ABS in some variants, and a slightly elevated driver’s seat for ease of handling.
The interior space was designed for roominess and practicality. The central console resembled an island housing the air conditioning controls and gear buttons. The gear buttons were positioned here so that the driver could minimize hand movement while driving.
Petrol and diesel engine options
Fiat Ulysse came with petrol engines (1.8, 2.0, and 2.0 turbo) and diesel engines (1.9 turbo, 2.0, and 2.1 turbo). According to the author’s brief research, the Ulysse available in the Malaysian market was offered with a 2.0-liter petrol and a 1.9-liter diesel turbo engine.
Facelift in 1999
By 1999, the minivan/MPV market in Europe was slowing down, but this trend was still strong in Asia and Malaysia. Therefore, a facelift model was introduced in 1999. The front of the Ulysse was updated with a more curved and soft surface, no longer a flat face with square headlights like the Iswara.
The grille was also redesigned, with a smaller Fiat logo in the center. The body cladding was changed to body color, giving it a more premium look compared to the previous gray cladding.
The interior didn’t change much compared to earlier models, although better materials were used, and the instrument cluster had a more attractive design.
Just like before, the Ulysse could accommodate seven passengers with two front doors and two sliding rear doors.
Sibling from Citroen and Peugeot
Did you know that the Fiat Ulysse had siblings from Citroen and Peugeot? The Ulysse siblings were the Citroen Evasion and Peugeot 806, all these Eurovans had minimal differences.
It should be noted that this was not due to rebadging like the Proton Wira taken from the Mitsubishi Lancer but more of models developed together. Examples include the Perodua Ativa/Daihatsu Rocky/Toyota Raize or Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ.
The Citroen Evasion and Peugeot 806 were also offered in the Malaysian market. The author remembers seeing these models and being surprised when they weren’t Fiat. Back then, the concept of rebadging and joint development was not fully understood.
In the European market, there were additional siblings, namely the Citroen Synergie and Lancia Zeta. The list goes on!
Once popular in the used car market in Malaysia
After its production ended, the Fiat Ulysse flooded the used car market. As internet usage expanded, the Fiat Ulysse became one of the sought-after MPVs on websites like Mudah.my. Naturally, being a European brand model, its price depreciated quite drastically.
Some were sold for around RM7,000, and some even went for less than RM5,000. Imagine if this were a Japanese MPV, the price would likely remain in the range of RM15,000 to RM20,000. However, previous owners were probably not too concerned about the depreciation of this vehicle.
New owners, on the other hand, were brave enough to court these beautiful and enjoyable-to-drive European widows, albeit with the looming maintenance costs.
If the owner knew a reputable Continental brand workshop, there shouldn’t be any major issues.
Cycle & Carriage, a renowned automotive brand with a 125-year legacy, has announced a partnership with Stellantis Malaysia to expand the Peugeot brand under its product portfolio.
Initially, two existing Cycle & Carriage showrooms located in Cheras and Batu Caves will be utilized to showcase Peugeot vehicles under one roof with sales and after-sales services set to commence towards the fourth quarter of this year (Q4 2024).
This collaboration with Cycle & Carriage is part of an effort to further develop the distributor network of Stellantis Malaysia.
The aim is not only to strengthen their presence in the country but also to identify key locations to offer quality and easily accessible services to customers within the community.
Additionally, there are plans to introduce more brands under Stellantis Malaysia, as well as to expand the network to the northern and southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia starting from 2025.
“We are excited to embark on a new chapter with Stellantis Malaysia, to offer customers an expanded product lineup, coupled with Cycle & Carriage’s expertise in automotive backed by our 125-year history. This aligns with our strategy to deliver exceptional journeys to a broader customer base, expand our market reach, and drive shareholder value.
“We truly believe that existing and future customers will greatly benefit from this partnership, offering easy access to a wider range of quality products based on their needs and quality services even after point of purchase,” said Thomas Tok, CEO of Cycle & Carriage.
Jamie Morais, Managing Director of Stellantis Malaysia expressed his gratitude and said “Today marks a significant milestone for Stellantis Malaysia, and we are thrilled to welcome our new dealer partner to our growing network. This is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional service and expanding our reach to better serve our valued customers.
“Cycle & Carriage’s reputation for excellence aligns perfectly with our values and we look forward to setting the new standards in the industry to provide unparalleled customer experience.”
Bermaz Auto Alliance (BAA) has announced the cessation of its business operations with effect from 29 February 2024. BAA was appointed to manage the distribution, sales, and aftersales of Peugeot vehicles in Malaysia and as the authorised repairer for Citroen and DS models three years ago.
This comes following the decision and announcement on 22 November 2023 by Stellantis N.V to manage its brands in Malaysian market through its own national sales company.
With the cessation of operations, BAA will no longer be able to continue serving the Peugeot customers as intended. In a statement, the company expresses its appreciation towards all customers for the support and confidence in the sales and aftersales service rendered by BAA throughout these years.
BAA has agreed to transfer the contractual Free Service Maintenance (FSM) program to Stellantis N.V in totality and as such, all future FSM will be carried out through Stellantis N.V appointed network.
For the more up-to-date information, it is recommended that the customers to refer to Stellantis N.V or contact their customer support toll-free number at 1800-18-7852 or email to customersupport.my@stellantis.com for clarification on any specific concerns.
STELLANTIS has announced it will establish a new National Sales Company (NSC) in Malaysia within the first quarter of 2024.
The new NSC will be the official Stellantis entity directing and managing the sale and distribution of the automaker’s vehicles in Malaysia.
The change in business strategy is part of Stellantis’ growth ambitions in the ASEAN region, in line with its electrification plans and the company’s global Dare Forward 2030 strategy.
In conjunction with this strategic change, Bermaz Auto Alliance (BAA), a 55% owned subsidiary of Bermaz Auto Berhad (Bermaz Auto) and the current distributor for Peugeot in Malaysia, will in the meantime continue to work with Stellantis for vehicle sales through its own network.
“We are excited to announce this new business strategy to serve the Malaysian market with more products and services under the new NSC structure. This includes the future introduction of new brands to Malaysia under the Stellantis portfolio,” said Daniel Gonzalez, Chief Operating Officer for ASEAN & General Distributors at Stellantis.
Gonzalez also expressed his appreciation for Bermaz Auto, emphasizing its pivotal role in establishing a strong presence for the Peugeot brand in Malaysia in the last three years.
The Malaysia NSC will be led by Jamie Francis Morais, who is the current Head of Aftersales for the ASEAN & General Distributors operations for Stellantis.
Morais is a seasoned professional with 19 years of experience in the automotive industry within esteemed global brands including Toyota, BMW, Nissan and Proton. His extensive leadership background spans across different operations including aftersales, network, customer service, quality, sales and training.
BAA will continue working with Stellantis during this transition period, with both companies remaining steadfast in their commitment to serve Peugeot customers with uninterrupted vehicle service, parts, warranty and aftersales service in Malaysia.
Stellantis’ new direction and strategy for the ASEAN region includes its electrification ambitions, evaluating the potential of the Gurun plant in Kedah as a regional manufacturing hub to manufacture battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for both domestic and export markets in ASEAN, and driving consumer adoption of BEVs in the region.
The automaker is investing over RM2 billion (€400 million) to introduce the STLA Medium platform to the ASEAN region. This modular-by-design platform enables Stellantis to be able to produce multi-energy vehicles (BEV, ICE, MHEV) and local manufacture of cars from Stellantis’ house of brands such as Jeep and Citroën.
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