BYD Mansion Macalister opens in Penang, Malaysia’s first BYD heritage concept showroom

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Beyond Auto, BYD’s authorised retail partner under Sime Motors, has opened a new Penang outlet called BYD Mansion Macalister, adding a rather different kind of showroom to the brand’s growing network in Malaysia.

Located on Jalan Macalister, the new outlet sits in a century-old building that was once a familiar commercial property in the area, previously home to various offices and businesses.

Instead of tearing it down or heavily modernising it beyond recognition, the building has gone through a restoration and adaptive reuse exercise, turning it into what is being described as Malaysia’s first BYD heritage concept showroom.

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The idea here is fairly straightforward. The building’s original architectural identity has been retained, but the inside has been repurposed to support a more modern EV retail experience. The result is a space that tries to blend old Penang character with the newer, tech-driven image that comes with an electric vehicle brand like BYD.

The property sits on a 26,994 sq ft land parcel and has about 9,000 sq ft of built-up space. Rather than functioning like a typical dealership, BYD Mansion Macalister has been set up more like a boutique automotive space.

Inside, there are four display vehicles arranged in a gallery-style environment, along with lounge-style consultation areas and a private delivery room for customer handovers.

It is not just about display space, either. The site also houses a full after-sales setup, which means customers can handle more of their ownership needs in one place. The service centre includes five work bays, one alignment bay and three service reception bays.

Charging infrastructure has also been included as part of the setup. To support EV use in Penang, the site features an urban charging hub with one 60 kW DC fast charger and seven AC chargers, giving EV owners another place to top up within the city.

“BYD Mansion Macalister represents an important milestone in how we continue to evolve the automotive retail experience,” said Andrew Basham, Managing Director of Sime Motors. “By transforming a historic property into a modern electric mobility destination, we are not only preserving an important part of Penang’s architectural heritage, but also creating a meaningful space where customers can experience the future of mobility. This reflects Sime Motors’ long-term commitment to supporting the growth of electric vehicles and expanding our presence across Malaysia.”

“The opening of BYD Mansion in Macalister is a meaningful milestone for BYD in Malaysia, reflecting our continued commitment to growing the brand in ways that are closer to local communities. What makes this showroom especially significant is how it brings together premium customer experience, innovation, and uniquely Malaysian cultural touches, creating a space that not only showcases our vehicles, but also reflects the warmth, identity, and progress of the market we are proud to serve,” added Jacob Ma, Deputy General Manager of BYD Malaysia

The opening also adds another chapter to the Sime Darby Beyond Auto and BYD partnership, which started in December 2022. Since then, the group has expanded its BYD retail and service footprint across Malaysia, with existing locations including Ara Damansara, TREC Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Tebrau.

Penang has already been a strong market for the group. BYD Penang was recently named Best BYD Dealer in Malaysia for overall performance, while Sime Darby Beyond Auto picked up 13 of the 27 awards handed out at this year’s BYD Dealer Conference & Awards Night.

With BYD Mansion Macalister now open, Sime Darby Beyond Auto is growing its presence in Malaysia in a way that feels a bit more considered than just adding another standard showroom.

In this case, the bigger talking point is not only that BYD has opened a new outlet in Penang, but that it has done so through a heritage building that gives the location a more distinctive identity than most modern dealership spaces.

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