New Nissan Plant/ Suzuki Swift

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd which distributes Nissan and Renault vehicles in Malaysia is building a new RM125mil plant in Serendah, Selangor(six kilometers north of Rawang).

The new plant is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2007. The initial production capacity at the Serendah plant is 24,000 units a year but it can go as high as 30,000 units.

The present plant is in Segambut.

Other Info:
Executive director of Edaran Tan Chong Motor: Dr. Ang Bon Beng.
Company secretary and General Manager of finance and administration: Joseph Tan

The sale of Nissan vehicles went up 40 per cent to 22,000 units.
Their best selling vehicle in Malaysia is the Sentra, followed by the Frontier pick-up and the X-Trail sports utility vehicle.

Read the Star report here.

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The 1.5-litre Suzuki Swift was publicly launched on the 16 of this month at the Palace of the Golden Horses hotel. Seri Kambangan, Kuala Lumpur.

According to says DRB-Hicom executive chairman Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong, Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd aims to sell between 4,800 and 6,000 units of Suzuki Swift in the first year (400 to 500 units per month).

The 1.5-litre automatic transmission (completely built-up from Japan) Swift will be priced between priced between RM78,000 and RM85,000. It is targeted at urban and suburban young families with incomes of between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month.

Its competitors include the Honda Jazz, the Chevrolet Aveo as well as the Proton Gen 2.

In order to handle its sales and service, a network of 21 dealers with sales, servicing and spare parts (3S) centres has been established.

Some info about the car:

1. Comes in 6 colours,
2. 5 door hatchback
3. DOHC 1.5 litre, 16-valve fuel injected engine with Variable Valve Timing (VVT)
4. 4-speed automatic gearbox
5. Top Speed: 170 km/hr.

According to Tan Sri Mohd Saleh, they are now carrying out feasibility studies for the CKD (completely knocked down) assembly of Suzuki Swift in Malaysia.

They also plan to launch the Jakarta-assembled APV (all-purpose vehicle) and the Grand Vitara (Fully Built up in Japan) sports utility vehiclelater this year.

Other Info:

1. The Suzuki franchise in Malaysia is held by Suzuki Malaysia Automobile Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad.
2. Suzuki Motor Corp of Japan chairman and chief executive officer: Osamu Suzuki

3. Suzuki Malaysia chief executive officer: Bastaman Hamzah

4. Besides Japan, the Swift model is also assembled in Hungary, China and India.


Read more about it in the Business Times and in the The Star.

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