Malaysia Registers Record LV Deliveries in 2014

New-vehicle sales in Malaysia rose 1.6% in 2014 to a record 666,465 units with the Malaysian Automotive Assn. crediting factors including a stable economy and employment rate and steady consumer spending.

MAA President Aishah Ahmad tells a media briefing the good times are expected to continue with the market forecast to increase 2.0% this year to 680,000 units.

The government’s Bernama news agency quotes her as saying the forecast is in tandem with the challenge of the global economic uncertainties such as falling crude oil prices, a downgraded world economic outlook and a weakening ringgit.

The year ended with December sales up 6.9% to 64,660 units.

The dominant car segment rose 2.0% in 2014 to 588,341 units, enough to offset a 1.3% drop in the commercial-vehicle market to 78,124.

Despite the record sales, the number of vehicles built in Malaysia dropped fractionally to 595,418 units from year-ago's 601,407.

Within this, the car build edged up to 545,122 units from 543,892 units, while CV output fell 8.1% to 51,296.

Market leader Perodua says it has set a sales target up 6% this year to 208,000 units after delivering 195,600 in 2014. President and CEO Aminar Rashid Salleh says last year’s result made the automaker the country’s top-selling marque for nine straight years.

Elsewhere, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia says it will spend MYR280 million ($78 million) this year to upgrade its production facilities, paint shops and dealer networks as well as to introduce new models.

President and CEO Roland Folger says 2014 was a record-breaking year for Mercedes-Benz, with deliveries climbing 17% to 9,419 units, led by its A-Class model. “We expect sales to increase more than 17% in 2015, exceeding that of 2014,” he says.