The Peugeot 3008 and 5008 SUVs have surfaced on the French marque’s Malaysian Facebook page, which means that locally-assembled versions of the duo are about to arrive. CKD operations for the two models have already been put in place, as right-hand-drive models for the 3008 and 5008 will both come from the Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) facility in Gurun, Kedah.

The Gurun-built SUVs are already set to enter Thailand under new importer and distributor, Belfort Automobiles Thailand. A further three models will be introduced in the country for a total of five over the next two years, the automaker said. The NAM plant also makes the left-hand-drive 3008 for the Philippines.

Currently available versions of the Peugeot 3008 start from RM134,827 in Active THP trim and RM147,091 in Allure THP guise, while the Peugeot 5008 is available in a single Allure THP variant, priced at RM164,072. Pricing details for the forthcoming CKD versions have yet to be revealed, though these should be a marked reduction from the prices of the current, imported models.

Groupe PSA signed an agreement last year with Naza Corporation Holdings for a majority stake in the Gurun plant, which made it the French automaker’s first manufacturing hub in the ASEAN region.

The NAM facility was staffed by 450 people and had a production capacity of 50,000 units yearly, as of last February. Forecast volume for NAM with Groupe PSA’s export activities in the region is expected to be 18,000 units this year, growing to 21,000 units in 2020.

-paultan