Using Chinese and American AI to predict the top ten car sales in Malaysia in February, who is more reliable?

[PCauto] AI has been a hot topic lately, and some people are worried about their jobs being replaced.

Recently, I’ve been trying out both Chinese and American AI tools to predict the top 10 car models in terms of sales for February in Malaysia. I found these tools to be quite intelligent. I asked them to provide rankings, predicted sales figures, and the reasons for their predictions, and both tools managed to provide approximate sales data and reasons.

Deepseek：

First, there’s Deepseek, the most popular AI tool in China right now. When using Deepseek, it not only gave the results but also explained the reasoning behind them, which was very interesting. The results felt quite trustworthy. Here’s what Deepseek predicted:

Based on historical data of the Malaysian car market, industry trends since 2024, policies, brand strategies, and changes in consumer preferences, here’s the forecast for the top 10 car models in February 2025, along with the reasons for these predictions:

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1. Perodua Bezza

•   Predicted sales: About 12,000 units

•   Reason: As an economy sedan, Bezza has long been a top seller. In November 2024, it had a 13.2% market share. Its high cost-performance ratio and low fuel consumption appeal to Malaysia’s middle- and low-income groups. Additionally, Perodua’s backlog of more than 90,000 units will continue to drive sales.

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2. Perodua Axia

•   Predicted sales: About 10,500 units

•   Reason: With a 10.6% market share in November 2024, Axia is a key player in the entry-level market. The potential tightening of the RON95 subsidy policy could boost demand for economy fuel cars. Axia’s lightweight design and low maintenance costs will attract budget-conscious consumers.

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3. Perodua Myvi

•   Predicted sales: About 9,000 units

•   Reason: The third-generation Myvi is nearing the end of its product cycle (without transitioning to the DNGA platform), but it still maintains an average monthly sales of around 9,000 units due to stable delivery capacity and brand loyalty. The model may clear out inventory through promotions before its replacement in 2025.

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4. Proton Saga

•   Predicted sales: About 7,200 units

•   Reason: A key model for Proton, with a 7.6% market share in November 2024. It targets the low-end family car market. Its localized production advantage and government policies, such as fuel car subsidies before the transition to new energy, will maintain its competitiveness.

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5. Toyota Vios

•   Predicted sales: About 3,500 units

•   Reason: A representative model for Japanese brands in the mid-range market, with significant contributions to sales in November 2024. Stable quality reputation and hybrid versions (potentially aligning with national EV goals) will attract consumers looking for durability.

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6. Toyota Hilux

•   Predicted sales: About 3,000 units

•   Reason: Popular for both commercial and family markets, Hilux was the top commercial vehicle in 2023. Despite potential impacts from adjustments in the RON95 subsidy, Hilux’s durability and brand effect will still give it an edge.

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7. Honda City

•   Predicted sales: About 2,800 units

•   Reason: A key model for Honda in Southeast Asia, with 7,038 units sold in November 2024. Targeting young families, its hybrid version may benefit from government incentives for new energy vehicles.

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8. Jaecoo J7 (Chery)

•   Predicted sales: About 1,500 units

•   Reason: The standout Chinese brand model, with 1,456 units sold in November 2024, ranking fifth in the market. With differentiated design and new energy technologies (such as plug-in hybrids), it is gradually penetrating the mid- and low-end market.

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9. BYD Atto 3

•   Predicted sales: About 800 units

•   Reason: BYD’s representative model in Malaysia’s new energy market, with 783 units sold in November 2024. The government’s plan to include hybrid vehicles in national EV targets, along with charging infrastructure expansion (10,000 stations by 2025), will boost consumer confidence.

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10. Haval H6 HEV

•   Predicted sales: About 500 units

•   Reason: Great Wall Motors saw a 331% sales increase in 2024, and the H6 HEV had over 1,500 orders in its first month. Hybrid technology aligns with policy direction, and localized production (CKD) may reduce costs further.

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Market Trends and Influencing Factors:

1. Policy-driven: Adjustments in RON95 subsidies and new energy targets (20% BEV by 2030) will accelerate the penetration of hybrid and electric vehicles.
2. Local brands dominate: Perodua and Proton together hold over 60% of the market share, with economy models still dominating.
3. Rise of Chinese brands: Chinese brands are capturing market share through new energy technology and price advantages, though brand recognition remains challenging.
4. Seasonal fluctuations: February is typically a slower sales month, but promotional campaigns and backlog order deliveries may mitigate the dip.

The above predictions consider historical data, policy trends, and brand strategies, though actual sales may be affected by economic conditions, supply chain stability, and other factors.

ChatGPT

When I was using ChatGPT, I found that GPT not only gives rankings, approximate sales predictions and reasons, but also arranges them in tables. At this point, I realized that the instruction I gave was not clear enough, fortunately, GPT chose a more readable format to present the results.

From the results provided, both Deepseek and ChatGPT have their strengths and weaknesses.

Deepseek's rankings are closer to my understanding of the Malaysian automotive market. Bezza is indeed a popular model, and after that, Axia comes in second, and so on. However, there are some issues with the sales data. Deepseek predicts that Bezza will sell 12,000 units in February, which seems a bit exaggerated. Not only Bezza, but the sales predictions for other models on the list (except for Jaecoo J7) are also inflated.

On the other hand, ChatGPT’s predicted sales figures are more conservative, but the rankings are very different from what I imagined. It completely ignores Bezza and believes that the Perodua Myvi will be the sales leader in February, with a predicted sales figure of 5,400 units, which seems reasonable. However, the ranking is completely off in my opinion. Furthermore, the sales figures for Proton X50, Toyota Vios, and others seem unrealistic. For example, Vios selling 4,600 units in a month seems unlikely unless there’s a major price drop.

Overall, ChatGPT has more issues, and this could be due to the fact that I'm using the free version. Deepseek's rankings seem largely credible, although the predicted sales figures are somewhat problematic.