Making Malaysia Safer and Better Since 1966

Photo courtesy of Drive Safe and Fast.

A decade into independence, Malaysia was just establishing its industrial debut on the world’s stage which included an automotive policy to accelerate national industrialisation through the local assembly of vehicles and manufacturing of automobile components. Volvo Car Manufacturing Malaysia (previously known as Swedish Motor Assemblies Sdn. Bhd.) were among the first to respond to the government’s worldwide call for technology transfer, local skill development and foreign investment.

Volvo then became the first foreign carmaker to establish an automotive assembly plant in the country. Situated in the heartland of Shah Alam, the plant is one of Malaysia’s longest surviving car-making plants. Volvo’s assembly plant commenced operations in March 1967 with production of the Volvo 144 – the first car proudly assembled in Malaysia and a big step forward for the nation’s automotive industry. Considering the Shah Alam plant was also Volvo’s first outside of its home country of Sweden, this was a tremendous distinction for Malaysia.

Volvo has shared a long history with Malaysia, growing in tandem with the country’s development by introducing automotive innovations and providing more Malaysian drivers access to Swedish style and safety. The locally-assembled Volvo 144 was followed swiftly with many more models over the years, featuring Volvo’s landmark inventions such as the three-point seatbelt and the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) – safety features which are now standard on all modern cars today.

In 2016, Volvo Car Malaysia was the first luxury car brand to introduce a locally assembled plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) through the Volvo XC90 Recharge – an effort that supported the government’s ambition of transforming Malaysia into an ASEAN hub for Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEVs). At the time, Malaysia was the only country outside of Sweden to assemble the all-new Volvo XC90 Recharge. Later in 2021, Volvo Car Malaysia became the first automotive car maker in Malaysia to offer a complete lineup of plug-in hybrids.

In 2022, Volvo Car Malaysia marked another turning point for the Malaysian automotive industry, with the launch of the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, the country’s first locally assembled fully-electric car. Volvo further spurred the local electric vehicle scene to support the country’s Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP) in accelerating the adoption of EEVs and Malaysia then became its hub to export its Pure Recharge models to the ASEAN region.

Volvo, born in Sweden but rooted in Malaysia for 57 years, continues its mission to give car owners the freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. Since the announcement of its electrification agenda in 2022, Volvo is leading drivers’ transition towards electrification one step at a time.

For Volvo, the future is electric, and this vision is asserted towards making a better tomorrow for Malaysia. While it has ambitious plans to pivot fully towards electric cars, it also acknowledges that there are drivers who need time to adapt to an electric lifestyle.

Every driver is different with diverse needs and daily commutes and Volvo is assuring these drivers the confidence to go further with its wide range of electric vehicles – extended fully-electric ranges on all cars for daily drives, and energy-efficient plug-in hybrids for those making the first step towards electrification or who need a backup plan for unexpected longer journeys.

No matter which electrified Volvo car you choose, every step counts when it comes to taking the step towards a sustainable, electric future.