OREANDA-NEWS. September 24, 2012. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, showcased for the first time a pre-production model of the Subaru XV assembled in Malaysia at the 20th Indonesia International Motor Show. The local production is scheduled to begin in January 2013 at an existing facility of Tan Chong Motor Assemblies Sdn Bhd (TCMA), an automotive assembly company of Tan Chong Group, with an initial capacity of 5,000 units a year.

The Subaru XV is Subaru’s new crossover SUV with sleek yet muscular design. It offers superior drivability, excellent safety and good fuel economy for which Subaru is renowned for. Concurrently with the unveiling at the show, Subaru dealers in Indonesia have begun accepting orders for the model. The Malaysia-made Subaru XV is also scheduled to go on sale in Malaysia and Thailand.

The launch of local production in Malaysia is one of the key initiatives of FHI’s manufacturing enhancement efforts along with capacity increase in Japan and North America set out in the company’s "Motion-V" mid-term business plan. The premiere of the locally-made Subaru XV at the show demonstrates steady progress of the plan and FHI’s commitment to sales expansion in the growing ASEAN markets.