Xpeng has confirmed that its second Mona-branded model, the Mona L03, is heading to Australia, where the brand has openly positioned it against the Geely EX5 and BYD Atto 3 on price. The coupe-SUV has just gone on sale in China and launched across Europe, and it’s the primary model within the inexpensive Mona sub-brand to supply a alternative of pure-electric and range-extender powertrains.
Its confirmation for a right-hand-drive market as close as Australia inevitably raises the query closer to home: is there room for it in Xpeng Malaysia’s line-up, and in that case, who would it not fight?
Let’s get the naming out of the way in which first. Xpeng says the Mona range uses “M” for sedans and “L” for SUVs, the 2 letters forming a part of the “Mona Lisa” name the sub-brand is built around. The unique Mona M03 is the liftback sedan that became Xpeng’s best-seller in China, crossing 270,000 deliveries and accounting for greater than 40% of the corporate’s volume in 2025. The L03 takes that value formula into the coupe-SUV segment, and it’s the one being lined up for export.
The Mona L03 in short
The L03 is a midsize crossover measuring 4,650 mm long, with a rakish, Model Y-style roofline that sets it aside from the upright EX5 and Atto 3. It slots below the present G6 in Xpeng’s SUV hierarchy and, unlike the 800-volt G6, rides on a 400-volt platform. The EV uses a 245 PS (183 kW) rear motor – with a dual-motor AWD option in some markets – paired with LFP batteries of roughly 56 to 71 kWh for as much as 520 km of WLTP range, and a 10-80% DC top-up takes around 20 minutes.
The more interesting variant for our market could be the EREV range-extender, which Xpeng markets because the Kunpeng Super Hybrid. It keeps the identical 245 PS drive motor and adds a 1.5 litre petrol engine (86 PS/63 kW) that acts purely as a generator. With a 37.2 kWh battery, Xpeng quotes around 215 km of electric-only running (WLTP) and as much as 1,017 km of total range. As with every Xpeng, tech is the headline: a triple “Turing AI” chip setup delivering as much as 2,250 TOPS, with the camera-based VLA 2.0 supervised self-driving system confirmed for Australia in 2027 at no extra charge. For the complete variant-by-variant spec breakdown, see our Xpeng L03 launch report.
In China, the electrical L03 starts at roughly the equivalent of RM130,000 to RM145,000 – before the import premium any export market applies. That figure is the entire reason that is value discussing for Malaysia.
Where Xpeng sits in Malaysia today
The local Xpeng range is currently premium: the G6 from RM178,888, and the recently updated X9 flagship MPV from RM279,888. Each sit well above the mass-market EV crowd.
Crucially, Xpeng has already begun CKD assembly in Malaysia. The primary locally-assembled G6 has rolled off the road at EP Manufacturing Berhad’s (EPMB) plant in Melaka, with the X9 to follow.
EPMB’s filing noted a primary right of offer to assemble future Xpeng models, with the D02 and D03 codenames specifically mentioned. In other words, the pipeline for cheaper, higher-volume Xpeng models built locally already exists on paper.
The rivals it might face
If the L03 got here to Malaysia to tackle the eMas 7 and Atto 3, it might be walking into essentially the most fiercely contested corner of our EV market.
The Proton eMas 7 is the worth benchmark. The CKD EV is priced at RM103,800 for the Prime and RM119,800 for the Premium, backed by 49.52 kWh and 60.22 kWh batteries and as much as 410 km of WLTP range. There’s also the eMas 7 PHEV from RM105,800 to RM129,800, which has proven that Malaysians are very open to a plug-in hybrid on this segment – directly relevant when weighing up the L03’s EREV option.
The BYD Atto 3 facelift landed in June at RM125,800 for the FWD Ultra and RM138,800 for the RWD Premium, the latter getting the Evo upgrade with 313 PS, a 74.88 kWh battery and 510 km WLTP. Notably, BYD rushed initial units in only before July 1 – more on why that matters below.
Does the L03 have a spot here?
Xpeng Malaysia currently has nothing below the RM178k G6, so a sub-G6 coupe-SUV aimed squarely on the RM100k-140k EV heartland would give Bermaz Xpeng the quantity model it’s missing, and the Mona sub-brand exists precisely to play that game. Dimensionally, the L03 lines up with each the eMas 7 and Atto 3, and its self-driving and AI story is a real differentiator against the eMas 7’s Level 2 ADAS and the Atto 3’s more conventional kit.
But your complete proposition hinges on one thing: local assembly. From July 1, MITI’s revised EV policy effectively imposes a steep price floor on fully-imported (CBU) EVs – the very reason BYD scrambled to get Atto 3 stock in before the deadline. A CBU Mona L03 can be dead on arrival at anything resembling eMas 7 money. To land at RM120k-ish and really fight, it might have to be CKD at EPMB, the way in which the G6 already is. The excellent news is that the localisation framework – and even those D02/D03 codenames – suggests Xpeng and Bermaz are pondering exactly along these lines.
The realistic timeline is the catch. G6 CKD has only just began and the X9 is next within the queue, so an L03 can be a later addition at best – and RHD versions haven’t even been fully detailed yet. There’s also the open query of whether an inexpensive Mona model would get the complete Turing AI and VLA 2.0 hardware in our market, or a pared-back version.
The L03 makes lots of strategic sense for Xpeng Malaysia – arguably more sense than one other premium halo automobile – but only as a locally-assembled model, and never before the present CKD rollout beds down. If Bermaz can get it in-built Melaka and priced within the RM110k-140k window, an EREV variant particularly might be a really pointed answer to the eMas 7 PHEV, while the EV goes head-to-head with the Atto 3. As a CBU import under the brand new rules, though, it’s a non-starter. Watch the EPMB assembly slate – that’s where this story will actually be decided.
Would you’re taking a Xpeng L03 over the eMas 7 or Atto 3 if it landed around RM120k? And does the range-extender option appeal greater than a full EV for Malaysian conditions? Tell us within the comments.
This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
