This year, Volvo Car Manufacturing Malaysia will be looking to expand its exports to five new markets – Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan – according to the company’s managing director, Fredrik Karlsson.
In a report by Bernama, Karlsson revealed that the move comes following the RM20 million restructuring of its plant in Shah Alam, which will allow the company to raise its total production up to 5,000 cars a year, as part of Volvo’s expansion plan ahead of 2020.
“We will start exporting in mid-year (upon completion of the plant), starting with the XC90 luxury SUV, followed by a new car at end of the year,” he said. Karlsson added that the carmaker is aiming to increase the plant’s capacity this year by 50% from the current 1,500 cars, followed by another 50% next year.
Currently, 60% of total production is for the domestic market, while the rest is for export to Thailand. “Over the years, it has been the other way around. But because Thailand was having difficulty (economic turmoil and bad weather) last year, we had a lot less production then,” he said.
Work on the revamped plant is expected to be completed by mid-2017, where by that time, Karlsson expects the ratio for domestic and export consumption to gradually change to 25:75.
Volvo has been in Malaysia for nearly five decades, with the foundation of Swedish Motor Assemblies in 1967. The company is headquartered in Shah Alam, and began local assembly in 1968 with the 144.
More recently, Volvo Car Manufacturing Malaysia commenced local assembly of the second-generation XC90, making Malaysia the only other country in the world to produce the flagship SUV outside of Sweden.
Karlsson also stated in the report that Malaysia would continue to be Volvo’s important market, as well as the production and purchase hub for Southeast Asia. For the latter, Volvo will look into the possibility of allowing Malaysian suppliers to enter the market in China.
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Shud have just kolos VCMM and assemble somewhere other countries. MY pipu says local assemble here no quality one, so they wun buy local CKD.
Volvo must listen to bashers here for success.
Better to kolos shop in Malaysia and open in Thailand. Less corruption and Thai Baht also stable. Ringgit fluctuates so much, it is like a yoyo currency
Correct. Must listen to u pipu, then got success. So must kolos everything now.
Drove T8 and test drive for half day, good car and fuel economy
Can get 40km/l?
6.1L/100km. A beast with low fuel consumption.
Ouch that’s fuel guzzler like lembu minum air!
Volvo has been here here for 5 decades… 50 years. But their prices have gone UP UP UP UP like Superman.
Those days, 1990 precisely, a brand new CBU Swedish made 244GLE (A) was RM37,000. It was solid like a tank. Real CBU car D segment car. Many Malaysians bought it.
Today, any Volvo D segment is already RM300,000
Amazing how 1990 you can buy RM37k and 26 years later, the car becomes RM300k.
I wonder whether overseas also the Volvo went 10 fold price increase from 1990 to 2016.
20 years ago, a piece of roti canal only cost 15cents.
U dont know boyyyy!! 20 years ago price of roti canai was about 60cents.
where got 15 sen? It was 60 sen 20 years ago. 20 years later its now RM1. Only double mah
Why not mention average My pipu income those day? No wonder every My pipu drive Volvo in 1990.
Fresh graduate then earn RM1500. Volvo RM37k CBU brand new
Now fresh graduate earn RM2500. Volvo RM300k CKD Made in Malaysia
By the way, I was looking at UK volvo prices. Volvo cars hardly doubled the past 26 years.
But Malaysia 10X fold. Syukurlah harga kereta murah di Malaysia
In 1990 there is no more 244GLE. It was 240 GL Injection and 240 GLT. The Injection was sold for approx. RM86k.
Yes dun come here cuz while Gov welcomes FDI, the pipu says jangan.
Less corruption in Thailand?
Soon Volvo will share tanjung malim plant facility.
For the glorious motherland, Geely shall own it.
Volvo > all
Geely > all
*cue hell march*
Sweden > China
Actually its Malaysia = China
Cause few more years, China will own everything in Malaysia.
Soon Proton will be fully China owned. Yahoo!
This what happens when you have incompetent people running our country
You are so so so pandai, so so sorhai smart, please lead our country lah, we all support you
ducatiscrambler
Geely us just a lousy car company with a lot of money. If chinaman involve directly to volvo management, sure volvo will be turning to a shit company. Geely just pouring money but not their brain.
Can u contribute some money or brain to save Proton?
Geely is company. Im a individual. Different. Why dont u contribute with ur brain damage 15cent roti canai.
Geely is just a lousy car company with a lot of money. If chinaman involve directly to volvo management, sure volvo will be turning to a shit company. Geely just pouring money but not their brain.
Thank you Volvo for making Malaysia as part of your manufacturing hub. I believe your cars and your after sales are underrated. I would say it is even superior than the Germans. Only thing is I hope you guys can pump in more marketing budgets to build and promote the Volvo brand even more. I look forward for your all new S60 and XC60 model replacement.
Xc60 new platform awaiting….
Volvo is failing in Malaysia cause they ketuk gila gila for their service.
This is why people fed up of Volvo. My friend’s XC90 T8 bumber kena bang, to replace it alone cost RM20k.
RM20k!!!!!
That sounds like Ferrari territory. It is like replacing the bumper of a Ferrari F430.
This is why Volvo is failing in Malaysia from its glorious days of the 80s and 90s where the 244GL and 940 Turbo sold so well
Did you tell your friend there’s a thing call insurance?
My friend T8 kena bang and cost of repair is RM500 to spray bumper.
ha ha ha ha. Even Proton bumper also more than RM1000 lah abang. Tipu pun tak pandai kah?
Huh? Golden bumper kah?
Kahkahkah
Don’t compare with insurance claim punya price la.
My friend’s Myvi 1.5 accident need change bumper, headlamp, respray, Perodua body paint outlet charge rm9k to his insurance.
All penipu scammer taking advantage of insurance.
Meanwhile their 2016 sales is 55% increase over 2015 sales. The XC90 T8 has to account a lot for it.
If u think only Volvo alone has expensive bumper, you sound like you’ve never owned BMW, Merc, or any other Conti cars. And not just any model, an equivalent one, say X5, M-class, Q7 etc to make fair comparison.
Sadly, Volvo is more and more inclined towards producing new SUVs rather than the conventional type of cars. Yet to see any real indication of the next-gen S60 & S40/V40 models. Perhaps the next new XC60 platform will spawn off the new S60..
Bcuz that’s where the demand is?
SUV sales are booming, and they’re pretty good at it.
The first XC90 was a true game changer. The XC60 is a decade old and still Europe’s best seller in its class.
Laos, Cambodia markets not lucrative?
Dont see the price selling in local market any cheaper
As always, I give dua tangan thumbs to VCM for their continued invest in our auto industry for almost 50 years now.
I did not expect VCM to consider LHD exports as well… most if not all previous VCM/SMA Volvo exports were right-hand drive. But seeing how new car sales have been growing in Vietnam and Myanmar, I guess now is a good time to consider LHD exports as well. BMW Malaysia/ Inokom plan to export LHD BMWs in the near future too.
How to know if your Volvo is made in Malaysia ? Look at the VIN (a 17-character unique code on every car);
If the VIN starts with ‘PNV’, then your Volvo is made at the VCM/SMA plant in Shah Alam. If it starts with ‘YV1’, it is from Volvo Sweden (Torslandaverken) or Belgium (Volvo Car Gent). Malaysia does not import any CBU Volvo cars from China… not yet at least.
The above method is not 100% accurate, but it’s the quickest way to tell. This method won’t work on cars from the 1970s and prior. The other, more accurate method would be to check the 11th code of the VIN.
1 = Sweden/ Torslandaverken/ VCT
2 = Belgium/ Volvo Car Gent/ VCG
5 = Volvo Car Manufacturing Malaysia/ VCM
Feel free to correct me or share any extra details if you know some, because I’m not a Volvo expert or anything. haha
Geely or any chinese national is anytime better than any local mud…
Cool story brah