Mazda, Malaysian Distributor Discussing Production JV
Executive Summary
The proposed JV would involve local assembly of 3,000 CX-5 CUVs a year starting early in 2013.
Mazda begins talks with Bermaz Motor on a joint-venture production and sales company in Malaysia.
Contract assembler Inokom has been producing Mazda3 compacts for the Malaysian market since January 2011. The Japanese auto maker says the proposed JV with Bermaz would involve local assembly of 3,000 Mazda CX-5 cross/utility vehicles a year starting early in 2013.
Bermaz is Mazda's regional sales company in Malaysia. It is fully owned by local investors with Berjaya Corp. as its major shareholder.
Mazda Chairman, President and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi says the auto maker’s sales in Malaysia have grown consistently since it started doing business with Bermaz in 2008.
He says Mazda reported record sales of about 6,000 units in Malaysia for a 1% market share in the fiscal year that ended in March. Local sales of Japan-built CX-5s launched in May.
Mazda considers Malaysia one of the key markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region alongside Thailand and Indonesia. It has set a sales target of 150,000 units for all of ASEAN in the fiscal year ending in March 2016.
