KULIM, Kedah, April 3 (Bernama) -- A landmark event for Malaysia and the local automotive industry: Today, Sime Darby and Porsche rolled out the first locally assembled Cayenne for the domestic market. The premiere took place at the inaugural launch of the first assembly facility for Porsche vehicles outside of Europe at Sime Darby’s motor vehicle production and assembly facility in Kulim, Kedah.

A testament to the long-standing and trusted partnership built for well over a decade, Sime Darby and Porsche are connecting more Malaysian Porsche fans to their dream sports car, while at the same time empowering futures by unlocking the potential of the local community and workforce. The specific right hand drive Cayenne models are destined for the local market only. 

The launch was officiated by the Raja Muda of Kedah, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Ibni Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin, with Menteri Besar of Kedah Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, along with members of the Board and Management of Sime Darby Berhad, and members of the Executive Board and Management of Porsche AG and Porsche Asia Pacific.

The local assembly facility underscores Porsche’s commitment to Malaysia as well as the ASEAN region and demonstrates Sime Darby’s dedication to expanding its high value assembly capabilities as a critical element for growth for its Motors’ business. 

Sime Darby Berhad Group Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson said, “We are very honoured by Porsche’s continued trust in Sime Darby, as we deliver a product consistent with Porsche’s highest standards for quality, performance and driving experience. The facility, which is 100% staffed by highly skilled Malaysians, not only supports the growth of our businesses across the automotive value chain in Malaysia; but also creates a pipeline of jobs to empower the local community.”

Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG, said, “Today we have reached a new milestone, rolling out the first locally assembled Cayenne and fulfilling the sports car dream of even more Malaysian Porsche fans. Our growth strategy underlines the importance of Malaysia for Porsche as we look to expand our presence in the ASEAN region. And it demonstrates our confidence in Sime Darby as a strong partner on our side.” 

Driving Sustainable Futures

“The new assembly site in Malaysia meets specific market needs and operates alongside Porsche’s established network of production sites in Europe. In particular, it meets comprehensive quality standards set forth by Porsche when assembling Porsche sports cars,” said Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche. “Additionally, the facility was built alongside our production philosophy: smart, lean and green.” Therefore, the new assembly facility is not only a benchmark in efficiency and quality, but also in sustainability. 

With this in mind the local assembly facility is designed to meet high sustainability standards: on the roof, solar panels provide all the power needed for operation, and on the ground, rainwater harvesting technologies ensure wastewater is kept to a minimum. 

The Sime Darby local assembly facility is staffed by a team of highly skilled and 100% Malaysian talent, all of whom have received comprehensive training from Porsche.

The assembly is further supported by a network of local suppliers and service providers in the area, empowering the future of the local community with job opportunities, upskilling prospects, and potential for further expansion. 

Senior Minister and Minister of MITI, Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali welcomed Porsche’s expansion in Malaysia and expressed that this development is aligned to the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020, which aims to advance Malaysia as a regional leader in automotive manufacturing, engineering, technology, and sustainable development. Sime Darby and Porsche choose Malaysia for its first assembly facility outside of Europe, signifying the company’s confidence in Malaysia’s conducive ecosystem and strength to support their long-term growth. This assembly facility in Kulim, Kedah also acknowledges the capability of Malaysia’s local talent of highly skilled engineers and technicians towards expanding their footprint in the ASEAN region. 

He also said that the Government views the automotive industry as a strategic economic sector acting as a gateway to boundless precision engineering possibilities. Established automotive-producing nations have demonstrated the vibrancy of the global supply chain’s development, which has been instrumental in the substantial growth of creating jobs and skilled workforce as well as generating many business opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises.

Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, MIDA CEO further concurred, “This new assembly facility in Kulim indicates Porsche and Sime Darby’s assured commitment and trust in the Malaysian business ecosystem, especially in assembling OEM parts and devices. The Malaysian Government will strive to build a conducive environment for the foreign and domestic industry leaders to do business in Malaysia given the nation’s readiness to provide long term business opportunities and connect to capable technology partners. With Porsche's reputation as a high-performance car manufacturer that demands state-of-the-art technology and precision engineering, this partnership is indeed strategic to our efforts to promote and enable high-value; high-technology; knowledge, capital and skill-intensive; as well as high income employment to solidify Malaysia’s position as a competitive and profitable investment destination.”

In 2021, MIDA has approved 36 projects within the Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) ecosystem, amounting RM1.9 billion. Majority of the approved investments were from foreign sources, amounting to RM1.1 billion (58 per cent), while the remaining RM0.8 billion (42 per cent) were from the domestic direct investments.

Locally Assembled, World-Class Quality

The Porsche Cayenne has long been the symbol of Porsche’s broadening horizons, appealing to new customer segments by combining an elegant interior and unparalleled comfort with robust dynamism and functional off-road abilities.

Today, it becomes another symbol of Porsche’s global expansion, as the first locally assembled Cayenne rolled off the assembly line of Sime Darby’s facility for Porsche.

The locally assembled right hand drive Cayenne comes with an elevated and enhanced standard equipment range specified exclusively for the Malaysian market, with a specially-curated Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur option package and a special Porsche Design timepiece available for further personalisation. A wide range of lifestyle-oriented Tequipment accessories are available on request.

The inaugural launch of this new local assembly facility for Porsche forms the latest highlight amid numerous exciting developments in the country: Porsche Malaysia, represented by Sime Darby Auto Performance Sdn. Bhd., in partnership with Shell and Porsche Asia Pacific recently launched the first high performance highway charging point at Shell Tangkak, the first of six locations between Johor and Penang forming a high-performance charging network that will be fully operational by Q2 this year; a new Porsche Centre in Johor Bahru, complementing the existing facilities in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, is also scheduled to open later this year. 

Find out more about the Cayenne at your nearest Porsche Centre, at mycayenne.online or visit www.porsche.com.my for more information. 

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