Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has launched production of the 1,500-cc Xpander multipurpose vehicle in Malaysia, the third country to produce the model following Indonesia and Vietnam.

The major Japanese automaker's local distributor, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., announced Wednesday the first units of the seven-seater crossover model have rolled off an assembly line at a plant of HICOM Automotive Manufacturers Sdn. Bhd., to which Mitsubishi vehicle production is commissioned. The HICOM plant, located in Pekan on the eastern coast of Pahang state, is capable of assembling 6,000 Xpanders a year with parts supplied from Indonesia.

"The Xpander is a significant model for MMM," said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, CEO of the Malaysian arm. "We want to offer a more price-competitive model with better specifications, providing customers more convenience and comfort."

Mitsubishi Motors sold some 290,000 vehicles in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region in fiscal 2019 through March 2020, accounting about 26 percent of its global sales, greater than 19 percent for Europe and 14 percent for North America. (NNA/Kyodo)

==Kyodo

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