BMW Group Malaysia exported over 4,600 cars since 2018 - From Kulim to Thailand, Philippines

BMW Group Malaysia has exported over 4,600 cars from its vehicle assembly plant in Kulim, since 2018 when the company's exports programme began, thus making it one of Malaysia's largest exporter of premium cars, if not the largest.

It should also be noted that the Kulim-assembled BMW and MINI models are powered by engines that are also assembled in the adjacent engine assembly facility.

Opened in 2018, the RM 132 million SDAE Engine Assembly Facility in Kulim makes 3- and 4-cylinder diesel and petrol engines, including engines for plug-in hybrid models. The completed engines are delivered to BMW’s adjacent vehicle assembly plant, which makes cars not just for Malaysia, but also Thailand and the Philippines.

The stand-alone BMW vehicle assembly plant in Kulim has been operational since 2008, and is located within the Inokom manufacturing complex campus.

Prior to that, BMW vehicles were contract manufactured at the now-defunct AMIM plant in Shah Alam, which used to assemble Ford and Land Rover vehicles for the Sime Darby Motors group.

BMW says its Kulim plant is ranked one of the best in Asia, which is also why it is tasked to supply right-hand drive cars to Thailand and left-hand drive cars to the Philippines.

Currently, it builds the 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series GT, 7 Series, X1, X3, X4, X5, and X7, as well as the MINI Countryman.

Of the 9 models mentioned above, 6 are exported to Thailand and the Philippines.

BMW Group Malaysia is only to provide aggregate figures, but says total exports from Malaysia since 2018 was over 4,600 cars.

The models exported are as below:

Total exports to Thailand is over 3,900 cars. 

Total exports to the Philippines is over 670 cars.