Hyundai to expand Kulim plant

Hyundai-Berjaya Corporation Bhd plans to increase production capacity at its Kulim plant to 30,000 units from 20,000 currently by the middle of next year, says its managing director Datuk Ben Yeoh.

He said the expansion would entail investments on increased mechanisation, warehousing facilities and enhanced vendor programmes in finished and semi-finished parts.

The plant had a maximum production capacity of 40,000 units a year, he told reporters after the launch of Matrix 1.6 and Atos 1.1 facelift in Shah Alam on Sept 27. It is now running on two-shifts assembling Atos, Matrix and light commercial vehicles.

It would sell 1,000 units Atos and 500 units of Matrix a month.

He said the local contents on Matrix would be increased to 45% from 20% by April next year. Atos has reached 45% localisation and it could be increased further.

It could be assembling Getz at the Kulim plant, possibly by the middle of next year as market response on the model had been good, he added.

Apart from Getz, it also distributes Santa Fe, Coupe, Terracan, XG, Sonata, Elantra, Accent, and Trajet.