Sime Darby And Porsche Introduce First Locally Assembled Cayenne
Sime Darby and Porsche have taken their longstanding partnership up another level with the introduction of the locally assembled Cayenne. This is significant as this is also the inaugural launch of the sportscar brand’s first assembly facility outside of Europe. The assembly facility is located in Sime Darby’s Inokom motor vehicle production facility in Kulim, Kedah.
The local assembly initiative underscores Porsche’s commitment to Malaysia as well as the ASEAN region. Although the first model assembled is mainly targetted for the Malaysian market, there is nothing stopping this partnership from expanding beyond our borders and into the rest of the region, or beyond. It also demonstrates Sime Darby’s dedication to expanding its high value assembly capabilities as a critical growth factor of its automotive business.
“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,” said Sime Darby Bhd Group Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson. “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.”
Meanwhile, Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG commented, “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”.
“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.”
The sustainability factor includes the use of solar panels to up to 49% of electricity required for the plant’s operation, as well as rainwater harvesting to minimise wastage of water. The assembly facility is also supported by a network of local suppliers and service providers in the area, which also helps enhance local job opportunities and upskilling.
Why assemble the Cayenne? The Porsche Cayenne is a significant model for the brand, being its first SUV as well as a very successful model globally. The locally assembled version is fitted with an enhanced standard equipment range exclusively specified for Malaysia. There is a specially curated Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur option package and a special Porsche Design timepiece, available for further personalisation. A wide range of Porsche Tequipment accessories are also available for further customisation, upon request.
More details on the locally assembled Cayenne will be available soon.
