Porsche’s Malaysian distributor, Sime Derby Motors, announced it had completed expansion of its assembly plant Kulim in Malaysia’s Kedah state to accommodate production of the Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupe.
The distributor said it had expanded its majority-owned Inokom facility by 11,000 sq m to accommodate an additional assembly line for the new variant which would be produced alongside the existing Cayenne built since 2022. This is the only assembly facility for Porsche vehicles in southeast Asia.
Sime Derby said Inokom would produce Porsches for export for the first time, with the Cayenne S E-Hybrid to be shipped to neighbouring Thailand, the automaker's largest market in the region.
Inokom is owned by several companies, including Sime Darby (51%), Bermaz Auto (29%), Sime Darby Hyundai (5%) and Hyundai Motor (15%). The company also assembles Mazda, BMW, Chery, Hyundai and Kia.
Sime Darby group CEO Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson said: “This is a significant milestone unlocking new opportunities in the Asean region while affirming the capabilities of our highly skilled local talents.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering product consistency that meets the discerning demands of Porsche customers, expanding beyond domestic market to our neighbouring country Thailand.”
Porsche board member Albrecht Reimold said 2,000 locally-assembled Cayennes had been sold in Malaysia since the plant began operations in 2022.
