Japanese automaker Mazda Motor is investing about JPY3bn ($30m) to increase production in Malaysia by acquiring an assembly facility and building a new plant.
As part of plan, Mazda Malaysia, a joint production and sales firm, will acquire a body shop from Inokom by late 2013 to build Mazda vehicles, which would enable meeting the production plan changes as well as implement quick and flexible quality control measures.
Additionally, Mazda's Malaysian subsidiary has started construction on assembly facility in May 2013, with operations scheduled to commence in spring 2014.
Mazda Motor director, senior managing executive officer Yuji Nakamine said Malaysia is a key base in the ASEAN region and the acquisition of the body shop and construction of the assembly facility will allow exclusively producing Mazda vehicles.
"Moving forward, we will continue taking steps to strengthen our local production operations, and in partnership with Bermaz and Inokom, we hope to contribute to the further growth of the automobile industry in Malaysia by offering our customers fantastic, highquality vehicles," Nakamine said.
Upon completion, the project is expected to increase the future production capacity to about 20,000-units per year, as part of the company's aim to improve assembly operations in Malaysia.
Mazda would also shift the production of CX-5, which is currently assembled at Inokom's factory, to the new facility.
