Proton has officially launched a new local assembly (CKD) plant in Karachi, Pakistan, which is operated by its partner Al-Haj Automotive. This comes more than two years after both parties agreed to set up the facility in March 2019 with an initial investment of USD30 million (around RM125 million).
The first model to roll off the production line at the Al-Haj Automotive assembly plant is the Saga, which will then be followed by the X70 before the end of 2021. The sedan and SUV were launched in Pakistan in December 2020 and April 2021 respectively, initially fully imported (CBU) from Malaysia. In July this year, both received CKD pricing and were more affordable by up to 100,000 Pakistani rupees (RM2,422).
According to a prior report, the new plant has a planned capacity of 25,000 units per year and is expected to create around 2,000 direct employment opportunities within the first three years of operations, with a further 20,000 indirect jobs coming as a result of the formation.
The line-off ceremony and inauguration of the assembly plant were attended by the president of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, along with Al-Haj Automotive CEO Hilal Khan Afridi and the consul general of Malaysia, Khairul Nazran.
The post Proton Saga CKD in Pakistan starts – X70 to follow appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
0 Comments