PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Bhd will partner Porsche AG to assemble sports cars for the Malaysian market with production scheduled to start in 2022.

       According to a joint statement, Sime Darby’s motor vehicle production and assembly facility will be the first assembly plant of the German sports car manufacturer outside of Europe.

       Sime Darby Motors has been a partner of choice for Porsche in Malaysia for the last 11 years, representing Porsche as its exclusive distributor and retailer for the sports car brand.

       An employee opens the door of a Porsche automobile at a Vincar Ltd. showroom in Singapore, on Saturday, May 8, 2021. As the coronavirus pandemic hammers Southeast Asia and political turmoil threatens Hong Kong, Singapore has become a safe harbor for some of the region's wealthiest tycoons and their families. A spike in virus cases may pause some of the rich migration to Singapore, but it’s likely to be short-lived. Photographer: Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg

       Sime Darby group CEO Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson said this partnership with Porsche marked a coming of age of its relationship with the brand.

       “To be entrusted to assemble cars for one of the world’s most admired sports car brands speaks volumes of the highly qualified and competent Malaysian talent we have at Sime Darby and our ability to provide meaningful value to our partners.

       “The assembly portfolio is a key element in our growth strategy, and we are pleased to extend our relationship with Porsche from retail and distribution to include assembly,” he added.

       Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board for sales and marketing at Porsche AG said Malaysia and the whole Asean is a region of great potential and he looked forward to the first locally assembled models reaching our Malaysian customers next year.

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       “As Porsche is moving into a new era of mobility, Malaysia and the Asean region are gaining increasing importance. This step now is part of a long-standing initiative to keep pace with rapidly evolving customer and market demands,” von Platen said.

       Jeffri said every Porsche assembled by Sime Darby will go through the same rigorous standards and processes as its European counterparts.

       “Quality will be a shared key commitment between Porsche AG and Sime Darby to all our customers, in assembling Porsche vehicles. We will continue our close engagement with Porsche AG to ensure that we meet the Porsche standard,” he said.