Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors plans to assemble sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in Malaysia by the middle of next year to capture a bigger slice of the non-national car market.
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“There will be another product launch by the company next year,” its managing director Datuk Ben Yeoh told local news agency Bernama at the recent launch of the new Getz 1.4-litre in Shah Alam.
“We plan to bring another model from HMC (Hyundai Motor Company), and I think the SUV is a good model to be assembled at the Kulim plant by middle of next year,” he reportedly said.
The report said Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors, the franchise holder in Malaysia, currently imports two built-up SUVs – the Tucson and Santa Fe.
Of the locally manufactured Getz 1.4-litre, Yeoh told Bernama that, despite the slow-down of the local car industry, the company was still optimistic of selling around 500 units of the new model per month, banking on its affordable price and fuel efficiency.
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By GlobalDataThe recommended retail price of the locally-assembled Getz 1.4 automatic model is RM58,888 (on the road without insurance), a reduction of over RM10,000 from its fully imported, completely built-up version.
The Getz 1.4-litre is being produced in Malaysia at 1,000 units per month, retaining its original shape but with changes to its head and tail lights.
Slight changes were also made to the exterior panels, especially the front end to give it a sporty look, the report noted.
The interior also received some updates, the most obvious being the liquid crystal display (LCD) display in the meter cluster.
“The biggest change to the car is the engine, upgraded to a 1.4-litre (from the current 1.3-litre) to give better performance and fuel consumption,” Yeoh told Bernama.
“We also plan to export this new Getz model around the region, probably before the end of this year,” he added.
Hyundai-Sime Darby currently distributes the locally-assembled Inokom range of vehicles such as the Atos Prima and Matrix, and imports the flagship Azera 3.3 V6, Coupe, Trajet MPV and Getz hatchback.
Bernama said four models – the new Getz 1.4-litre, Atos Prima 1.1-litre, Matrix 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre family, and Lorimas 1.5-tonne pick-up – are produced at the Kulim plant, which is a collaboration between HMC and Inokom Motor Corporation.
