Li Auto is recruiting a general manager for Malaysia, a move that has prompted speculation about the Chinese automaker’s plans for the market. The LinkedIn listing, posted about a month before the report, calls for experience in marketing management, automotive sales operations and managing dealer and sales channels. The hiring does not confirm a launch date or a decision to sell cars locally.
The possibility has gained attention since Li Auto said in August that it would begin making right-hand-drive vehicles, after 11 years in business. The company’s Li Mega electric MPV is expected in Hong Kong and Singapore, and possibly Thailand, by the end of the year. The report suggests Malaysia could initially receive the Mega, along with the i8 and i9, as fully imported vehicles; local assembly could broaden the options.
Malaysia’s rules for fully imported EVs may complicate the introduction of the smaller i6, according to the report, which cites a minimum CIF value of RM200,000 and output of 245 PS. China-built imports covered by the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area are subject to 5% import duty, while the stated excise duty and sales and service tax are each 10%.
The seven-seat Mega has a 2-2-3 seating layout and measures 5,350 mm long, 1,965 mm wide and 1,850 mm tall, with a 3,300 mm wheelbase. Its two motors produce a combined 544 PS; the 102.7-kWh NMC battery is rated for 582 km under WLTP. The article also lists 520-kW DC charging and a 10-to-80% charge time of 10 minutes. These details make the Mega a leading candidate for a possible Malaysian debut, not a confirmed launch.