Motors Inc is gearing up to launch Forthing, a Chinese automotive brand belonging to state-owned Dongfeng Motor Corporation, WhosWho.mt can reveal.
The development comes amid intensifying competition between Malta’s established automotive distributors, with Chinese manufacturers increasingly challenging the dominance of traditional European, Japanese and South Korean brands.
A newly established Forthing Malta social media page, identifying itself as a car dealership, carries Motors Inc’s main Qormi telephone number and has already begun teasing the brand’s arrival through a Coming Soon campaign.
The first model being promoted locally is the Forthing Friday EV, a mid-size electric SUV advertised with a WLTC driving range of 428km, a panoramic sunroof, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity as standard.
The development would make Motors Inc one of the first major local importers to represent two Chinese automotive brands.
The Qormi-based distributor, a joint venture between Tum Invest Group, Pater Group and United Group, already represents Leapmotor, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer in which automotive giant Stellantis holds a significant stake.
Its existing portfolio also includes South Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundai, alongside Stellantis brands Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep.
Forthing has been expanding its European footprint, entering markets including Italy, Belgium and Portugal through local distribution agreements since 2024. Its Friday SUV is among the models spearheading that expansion, with electric and hybrid versions available in selected markets.
Malta's Chinese automotive market gets crowded
The anticipated arrival of Forthing follows a succession of Chinese automotive brands entering Malta, reflecting a significant shift in the strategies of the island's established vehicle importers.
The growing list includes:
- MG, represented by Muscats Motors
- BYD, represented by Gasan Zammit
- Changan, represented by Fapi Motors
- Leapmotor, represented by Motors Inc
- Forthing, preparing to enter through Motors Inc
- XPeng, being introduced by Debono Group
What makes this development particularly significant is that these brands are being introduced predominantly by established automotive groups whose businesses have traditionally centred on European, Japanese and South Korean manufacturers.
Debono Group, best known as Malta's long-standing Toyota representative, is among the latest to diversify its portfolio through the introduction of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng.
Rather than allowing emerging Chinese manufacturers to compete against their existing operations through new market entrants, established Maltese importers are increasingly securing distribution agreements themselves.
The strategy allows them to capitalise on the growing appeal of Chinese vehicles while protecting their positions in an automotive market undergoing rapid transformation.
WhosWho.mt understands that other leading local automotive importers are also in advanced discussions with established Chinese manufacturers, with further announcements anticipated.
More Chinese automotive giants could be heading to Malta
Despite the growing number of Chinese automotive brands already represented locally, several major manufacturers have yet to establish an official presence in Malta.
Among them are Geely and its premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr, Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo marques, Great Wall Motor, NIO, Hongqi and Deepal, the electric vehicle brand belonging to Changan.
Several of these manufacturers have already established distribution networks across mainland Europe, raising the prospect of further expansion into smaller markets such as Malta.
For Maltese consumers, the intensifying competition could translate into a wider choice of vehicles, increasingly competitive pricing and higher levels of standard equipment.
For established importers, however, the stakes are considerably higher.
The arrival of successive Chinese manufacturers is rapidly reshaping Malta's automotive distribution landscape, creating both opportunities and competitive pressures for businesses that have dominated the sector for decades.
With Chinese manufacturers continuing to expand internationally, the battle to secure distribution rights for the most promising brands could become an increasingly important factor in determining which Maltese automotive groups strengthen their market positions in the years ahead.
EU and China curb hybrid car importation
Meanwhile, the European Union and China have reached a landmark agreement to limit the number of hybrid cars that China can import to the EU to around 350,000 a year, opening the prospect of cutting China's exports to the EU by more than than half of the current numbers.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, which represents 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers, welcomed the news.
“European automobile manufacturing has thrived for decades through open and fair competition. However, the sudden and rapid rise in imports of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) from China is having a destabilising effect on the European car market,” it said.
“In H1 2026, the market share of Chinese brands in Europe was 14 per cent for hybrid electric vehicles (up from 2 per cent in 2024) and 25 per cent for plug-in hybrids (up from 2 per cent in 2024),” the association said.
