What Defined the Auto Conversation in 2025?
We analyzed over 1,800 public conversations from Reddit Malaysia to uncover the real trends shaping the automotive industry. Focusing on the Top 12 Best-Selling Car Brands, we moved beyond the sales figures to measure what really matters: brand health, EV anticipation, and the shifting loyalties between Japanese, Chinese, and National cars. This is your data-driven year in review.






Executive Summary
Key Insights at a Glance
We tracked mentions, net sentiment, and topic clusters across Malaysia's most active automotive communities to separate the PR hype from the consumer reality.
The "Volume vs. Vibe" Gap
Proton and Perodua dominate the conversation volume, but Mercedes-Benz and Chery are winning the battle for brand love and aspiration.
The EV Reality Check
The "Tesla Hype" has faded. The real electric conversation is defined by the anticipation of affordable National EVs and practical Honda Hybrids.
The Tech Shift
"Japanese Reliability" is no longer the default winner. Chinese brands have captured the "Tech" narrative, leaving legacy brands fighting a defensive price war.
Deep Dive: The Data Behind the Drive
Explore our series of in-depth analyses on the specific battlegrounds of the 2025 automotive market.
Top Car Brands Malaysia 2025: Why Popularity Doesn't Mean Positive Sentiment
EV Car Trends Malaysia 2025: Why Proton e.MAS is Beating Tesla in Hype
Mercedes-Benz vs. BMW Malaysia: The 2025 Battle for Service & Reliability
Chinese vs. Japanese Cars in Malaysia: The 2025 "Tech vs. Trust" Shift
How We Track the Market
Market Coverage
We track the Top 12 best-selling car brands in Malaysia, including Perodua, Proton, Toyota, Honda, BYD, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz.
Data Sources
Our insights are powered by real-time data from Google News (for PR & media coverage) and Reddit (for unfiltered consumer feedback).
Methodology
We use AI-driven sentiment analysis and topic modeling to go beyond simple mentions and understand the emotional drivers behind the conversation.
Who Needs This Intelligence?
Automotive Brand Managers
To pinpoint exactly which models or service issues are dragging your sentiment down.
Product Planning Teams
To spot "white space" opportunities (like affordable EVs) that competitors are missing.
Dealership Networks
To benchmark your service center's reputation against your direct competitors.
Get the Live Version of This Report.
The data on this page is a snapshot of 2025. Subscribe to Mediapod to get a live, daily-updated dashboard tracking your specific competitors, emerging EV trends, and brand reputation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the “Free Report” process work?
mediapod2025-09-09T09:19:18+08:00It's a simple three-step process:
- Tell Us Your Goal: First, fill out the form on our Get Free Report page. Let us know your main objective and the brand, topic, or competitor you're curious about.
- Our Team Gets to Work: Our analysts will then review your request. For qualified businesses, we'll use the Mediapod platform to generate a custom report that's tailored to your needs.
- Receive Your Insights: Within 3 business days, you’ll receive a private link to your complimentary report via email.
What is the difference between your three reports?
mediapod2025-09-09T09:18:21+08:00They are designed for different goals. The Industry Pulse gives a broad, high-level view of an entire market. The Market Intelligence report is a deep dive into your brand versus your direct competitors. The Creator & Content report is a specialized tool for finding influencers and content ideas.
What data sources do you use?
mediapod2025-10-15T19:07:18+08:00Our reports synthesize data from the platforms where real conversations happen, including Google News, Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
How up-to-date is the data?
mediapod2025-10-15T13:06:21+08:00Our data is updated daily for most of the reports. Your report's historical data begins accumulating from the day your subscription starts, allowing you to track your performance and trends from that point forward. If you require a specific historical data analysis from before your start date, please contact us for a custom project.
How comprehensive is your data collection?
mediapod2025-10-20T17:11:56+08:00Our platform is designed to capture a robust and representative sample of the most recent and relevant public conversations for your "Tracked Terms" every single day. We prioritize the freshness and relevance of the data, not just the raw volume, to ensure the insights you receive are timely and actionable.
As you remain subscribed, this data accumulates over time, building a powerful and sizable historical record of your market's conversation from your start date forward.
How do you measure sentiment?
mediapod2025-10-14T14:32:46+08:00We use a powerful, AI-driven Natural Language Processing (NLP) model to analyze the emotion and feeling within each mention, classifying it as positive, negative, or neutral.
What languages do you support for sentiment analysis?
mediapod2025-11-26T08:35:48+08:00Our platform can perform sentiment analysis on a wide range of languages, including Arabic, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian & Continental), Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
For dynamic platforms like Instagram and TikTok, our system can auto-detect the language in content for seamless multilingual analysis. For other sources like Google News, Reddit, and YouTube, we typically configure your report to focus on a primary language during onboarding to ensure the highest accuracy.
While Bahasa Malaysia isn't officially listed by our AI provider, the model for Bahasa Indonesia is highly accurate for Malaysian content due to their similarities. We can set up your report to leverage this for a comprehensive local analysis.
Can you deliver global or country-specific reports?
mediapod2025-10-15T19:15:03+08:00Yes, absolutely. Mediapod is designed to provide intelligence at both a global and a specific country level. We use a multi-faceted approach to ensure the insights in your report are highly relevant to your target market.
- For News & YouTube: We can tailor the search to focus on a specific country's edition or locale (e.g., Google News Malaysia).
- For Reddit: We focus our analysis on country-specific subreddits (like
r/malaysiaorr/singapore) to capture local conversations. - For Instagram & TikTok: We track location-specific hashtags (like
#MYfoodie) and monitor content from top creators in your chosen country.
During the onboarding process, we'll work with you to define the exact geographic market you want to focus on.
Are the reports fully automated?
mediapod2025-10-15T19:11:21+08:00Our reports are a powerful blend of AI-driven data collection and human-led analysis. Our team of analysts configures each report and reviews the insights to ensure you receive the highest quality, most relevant information.
How many competitors can I track?
mediapod2025-10-07T20:40:18+08:00You can track as many competitors as you like! Our pricing is based on a flexible unit called a "Tracked Term," and each competitor you want to monitor simply uses one of your plan's available slots.
For example, if your plan includes 10 Tracked Terms, you could use them to track your own brand, 5 competitors, and 4 industry topics—or any other combination that fits your goals. The total number of terms you can track depends on your subscription. Please see our Pricing page for full details.
No hidden fees or complex enterprise contracts. Just clear, accessible value.




