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Five long years after Suzuki exited the Malaysian market, the plucky Japanese automaker is back, this time under a new custodian. That’s right: after selling its Peugeot and Kia franchises, Naza is back in the mainstream automotive sector, representing the brand under the Naza Eastern Motors subsidiary. Suzuki will be the first Japanese brand from the Malaysian conglomerate.
The company will launch the first of its two initial models as early as this month, and while it hasn’t confirmed the identities of the cars it will bring, we’ve been told they will be the last Swift Sport and Jimny. Both are being brought in from Japan by gray importers at inflated prices and it remains to be seen if Naza can offer them at more reasonable prices.
The first Suzuki 3S flagship showroom will be located at Naza Automall PJ, utilizing more than 3,000 square feet of space and featuring a “bright and vibrant environment along with some interactive spots.” The new dealership will only be authorized to service next-gen models, which likely means those that own older Suzukis will continue to be handled by Proton dealers, under the agreement after the previous departure.
“It is a great honor for us to be able to work with a Japanese automotive giant that has successfully captured the hearts of Malaysian consumers during its years in the Malaysian market,” said Naza Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin. “The Naza Eastern Motors team is committed to ensuring that we build on the solid reputation Suzuki has established for providing quality products that are reliable, desirable and joyful.”
Kinji Saito, Suzuki’s Senior Managing Director and Managing Director of Global Automotive Marketing, added: “We are delighted to be returning to the Malaysian market with Naza Group as a distributor. Our experience with the Malaysian market has been wonderful due to the great acceptance of our customers, and we greatly appreciate the continued trust in Suzuki. We look forward to presenting our latest award-winning cars to these loyal Suzuki fans. ”
The previous dealer was Suzuki Malaysia Automobile, a subsidiary of DRB-Hicom. Suzuki exited the market as a result of a now-expired collaboration with Proton, which gave us the Ertiga MPV.
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