Mitsubishi Motors in Indonesia has announced the export launch of its Xpander small MPV from its manufacturing plant at Bekasi, Indonesia.
The Philippines will serve as the first export market for the vehicle in ASEAN, to be followed by Thailand, Vietnam and additional international markets in the coming months, with around 30,000 MPVs expected to be exported during the first year.
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The export launch of the Xpander comes a year after the inauguration of the company’s manufacturing plant in Bekasi.
It marks the first time that Mitsubishi Motors will export vehicles on a mass scale from Indonesia and MMC said it ‘was made possible by the strong support of both the Indonesian government and manufacturing joint venture partners Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and PT Krama Yudha (KY).’
Osamu Masuko, Chief Executive of Mitsubishi Motors, said: “I am delighted that our company can contribute to the growth of Indonesia, which has been so supportive since we first arrived almost 50 years ago. The export of Xpander is an important milestone in our ongoing business plan, and adds further to our strong foundations in ASEAN, which are key drivers of our growth in the region.”
Since its launch in Indonesia during August 2017, MMC says it has take over 66,000 orders for the Xpander.
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By GlobalDataThe Xpander currently comprises 50% of production capacity at Mitsubishi Motors’ Bekasi plant, which is capable of producing 160,000 units per year. Between the expansion of export markets and significant domestic demand in Indonesia, Mitsubishi Motors added a second shift at its facility last October, and starting in July plans to increase production to 10,000 units a month following investments into its welding and assembly processes.
The company maintains 3,000 employees at its Bekasi plant, and plans to increase head count by more than 400 to support increased production. Local manufacturing likewise supports the development of supply-chain networks in Indonesia, MMC says.
