BMW wraps up E60 5 Series SKD programme in Kulim
On 21 April 2010, BMW Group Malaysia rolled out the last unit of the E60 5 Series from its Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) assembly plant at Kulim, shared with Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd.
“Today we say goodbye to a car that has been at the core of BMWs success here in Malaysia. The fifth generation BMW 5 Series has been an old friend to many of us, especially to those of us at BMW Group Malaysia as the car has been present here for as long as the company itself!” said Mr Sashi Ambi, Corporate Communications Manager, BMW Group Malaysia.
While many ardent BMW fans still hold the preceding E39 5 Series to a greater regard, the E60 is no less an important model to BMW. Its technical competency is beyond question, and its controversial styling has left an indellible mark in automotive design that still provokes debate even today.
To date, BMW has shifted over 7,735 units of the E60 into Malaysian homes, out of which 6,732 were assembled locally. It should be noted, of course, that these figures do not include parallel import units which should easily double the official units.
Reiterating the importance of the fifth generation BMW 5 Series, Mr. Manfred Zink, Production Manager and Plant Representative, BMW Group Malaysia said, “The BMW 5 Series is also a special car for us at the plant. It is the first 5 series to be assembled in Malaysia and the car has been with us from the very start of our days at the Associated Motor Industries (AMI) plant in Shah Alam. When we moved our new premises here at the Inokom Corporation plant in August 2008, it was the first batch of cars we put into production.”
The sentimental attachment of BMW Malaysia staff to the E60 can be understood after one goes through the early history of the company here in Malaysia, chronicled by our earlier editorial teams. Set up as a joint-venture between BMW AG and Sime Darby, the E60 was the highlight of BMW Malaysia’s debut year in 2003.
The BMW SKD Assembly Plant is operated in partnership with Inokom Corporation, a subsidiary of Sime Darby Berhad at the Inokom factory in Kulim, Kedah. Both BMW and Inokom share factory space but operate on separate and independent assembly lines in the facility.
“The establishment of BMW 5 Series assembly facilities here in Kedah has seen key technologies being introduced to the Malaysian automotive industry and has led to the creation of over 400 skilled and professional jobs for Malaysians” said Encik Zainal Osman, Chief Operating Officer of Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd.
At various points of its lifetime in Malaysia, the E60 model range included the 520i, 523i, 525i, 530i, 540i, 545i, and the M5. In early 2004, the company took a brave step to introduce the formidable 530d, but that variant was removed from the lineup at some point after 2007. Last year, the company also brought in limited numbers of the hugely impressive 520d, which has since been sold out.
Having sold over a million units of the E60 worldwide, the E60 was the world’s best-selling car in its segment for four straight years from 2005 to 2008. With a seven-year-long presence in the market, and not to mention the new Mercedes-Benz W212 E-Class eating away at sales, the time has come for the E60 to take a bow and make way for its successor – the F10.
Pictures: Official BMW release
