KL launches second car

KL launches second car

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The 50,000th unit of Malaysia's second national car, the Perodua Kancil, rolled off the assembly line yesterday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was at the Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn. Bhd. (Perodua) plant in Rawang, about 32 km (20 miles) from Kuala Lumpur, to witness the event, Bernama news agency said.

Production began in June last year.

Since October, the 660 c.c. Kancil has cornered an 18 percent share of the local passenger car market, to cut the first national Proton car's share to 57 percent.

Perodua is a joint venture among Malaysian parties, Japan's Daihatsu and Mitsui, while the Proton was launched 10 years ago jointly between Malaysia's HICOM Holdings Bhd. and Japan's Mitsubishi group.

Demand for the Kancil has doubled from Perodua's earlier projection and sales are estimated to reach 4,000 units a month, officials said. Perodua aims to turn out 50,000 units a year.

From January to October, sales of the Kancil reached 32,700 units.