At the launch of the Volvo S90 T8, Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) has expressed that the locally assembled flagship premium sedan will be exported to five markets in the ASEAN region with more markets under consideration. This business move supports the Government’s policies to transform Malaysia to a regional hub for Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEV).
Among the countries that will receive the Malaysian assembled include Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Laos and Cambodia have been marked as potential export markets as well. VCM estimates that annual export volumes will be close to 5,000 cars within the next few years.
Despite the S90 being built on the company’s all-new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, VCM is able to assemble the premium sedan at their Shah Alam facility thanks to the continuous investment made to modernise the 50-year-old plant. The continuous upgrades are critical for the Malaysian plant to produce future Volvo models especially when the Swedes has plans that all Volvo cars will be hybrids from 2019 onwards with the brands first full EV to be built in China.
Chairman of the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation, Tan Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, said at the launch, “Malaysia is a strong proponent of sustainable mobility as it is the future of the transport industry. IGEM is proud to have hosted the launch of the new Volvo Car Malaysia’s new entry into the sustainable transport market. I am certain that the new Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine will convert more drivers into green enthusiasts.”
