Berjaya, Bermaz take over Peugeot distributorship in Malaysia from Naza – Citroën and DS sales to end

This just in – Groupe PSA has announced that it has awarded sole distributorship of its Peugeot brand in Malaysia to Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd (BAASB). The latter is a joint venture between Berjaya Corporation and Bermaz Auto, which hold a 51% and 20% stake respectively.

The move, said the French conglomerate, would enable it to continue Peugeot’s growth strategy in the country. The company plans to release new models such as the latest Peugeot 2008, which has already been seen in spyshots locally. It also confirmed that Malaysia would remain the export hub for the Southeast Asian region.

“We aim to continuously revolutionize the customer experience together with our new partner, BAASB and underscore our commitment to our customers through excellent sales and aftersales service,” said Groupe PSA senior vice president for Southeast Asia Laurence Noel.

BerjayaCorp CEO Datuk Sri Robin Tan Yeong Chin added, “This new collaboration will complement our group’s existing automotive business, namely HR Owen and Berjaya China Motor. We believe this collaboration between BerjayaCorp, Bermaz and Groupe PSA will bring positive synergistic benefits to all parties.”

Bermaz executive chairman Datuk Seri Ben Yeoh said, “We are honoured that Groupe PSA and BerjayaCorp recognise Bermaz Group’s capabilities and expertise in the automobile industry and are delighted to participate in this new collaboration, which is expected to contribute positively to our future earnings base.”

Interestingly, the deal does not include the distributorship of the Citroën and DS brands, with the local consortium only obtaining the rights to provide aftersales and spare parts. This almost certainly spells the end of new car sales for the two marques in Malaysia.

The news comes after it was confirmed that Naza was to relinquish all three brands – as well as Kia – as it restructures its business. As yet, it’s unclear if Berjaya Auto Alliance will sweep up the Korean brand, but it’s understood that Bermaz is a frontrunner for the deal.

We should point out that beyond this joint venture, Bermaz is not directly affiliated with Berjaya. The current Mazda distributor was spun off after a management buyout in 2016.

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