Posted on 24 Mar 2015
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation began the construction of its new plant in GIIC Industrial Estate in Cikarang Bekasi, West Java, on Tuesday, built with an estimated investment of 60 billion yen (US$501.65 million).
The development of the plant, which will be its second facility after its first in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, is expected to finish in 2017. It will be able to annually produce 160,000 passenger vehicles, such as small multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), new Pajero Sports and Colt L300.
Osamu Masuko, chairman of the board and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, said expanding ASEAN market was a key market for Mitsubishi Motors and Indonesia, in particular, was a strategic market, which was expected to grow further because of its huge population of more than 250 million people.
"We will develop this plant to enable it to play an important role as a main production base like our plant in Thailand," he said.
Masuko further said that Mitsubishi would begin exporting small MPVs to the ASEAN market, such as to the Philippines and Thailand.
Mitsubishi, along with its local partner PT Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian Motors, sold 141,962 vehicles last year, causing it to be the fifth largest automobile seller in Indonesia.
