Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd (Inokom) has grown into one of Malaysia’s established automotive contract assemblers as it has earned the confidence of global automotive brands through its consistently high standards.
The contract vehicle assembler, which operates a 200-acre manufacturing facility in Kulim, Kedah, revealed that annual production volume grew from 20,500 units in 2021 to more than 31,800 units in 2025. During the same period, the company has exported more than 24,500 vehicles to regional markets, making it one of Malaysia’s largest automotive exporters.
Inokom currently assembles vehicles for seven global automotive brands spanning Germany, Japan, Korea and China. These include BMW, MINI, Porsche, Mazda, Hyundai and Chery, serving both the Malaysian market and the ASEAN region.
Inokom assembles vehicles for some of the world’s biggest automotive brands
One of Inokom’s key partners is Hyundai which started back in 1993. The company later expanded into passenger and commercial vehicle assembly in 2000, beginning with the Inokom Lorimas (Hyundai Porter), followed by the Inokom Atos in 2002.
Mazda, one of Inokom’s longest-standing assembly partners and a joint venture partner, launched its first locally assembled Mazda 3 at the facility in 2011. At the time, it was the only completely knocked down (CKD) Mazda assembly plant in the ASEAN region.
In 2021, Porsche selected Inokom as its first vehicle assembly facility outside Europe. Local assembly operations were later expanded in 2024 to include exports to Thailand.
Chery has also teamed up with Inokom in 2023, broadening the plant’s production portfolio with the Omoda and Tiggo series. The Chery Omoda E5 also became the first electric vehicle assembled by Inokom.
Home to BMW’s third-largest engine assembly plant
Beyond vehicle assembly, Inokom is also home to BMW Group’s engine assembly plant, which was established in partnership with Sime in 2003 and has operated from the Kulim facility since 2009. According to the company, it is BMW’s third-largest engine assembly plant globally.
Since 2018, BMW Group has exported more than 11,800 BMW and MINI vehicles assembled at Inokom to the Philippines and Thailand. The facility also rolled out its 100,000th vehicle in 2022.
More recently, the locally assembled BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport CKD became the first fully electric BMW model to be assembled in the Asia Pacific region.
Today, Inokom’s operations include body shops, paint shops, assembly shops and centralised warehouses, supported by a 100% Malaysian workforce of more than 2,700 skilled employees. The company is also supporting Malaysia’s automotive supply chain by working closely with 370 local vendors, including Bumiputera enterprises.
Looking ahead, Inokom plans to further expand its manufacturing capabilities with a new advanced painting facility as it aims to strengthen its operational capacity while raising the bar for what Malaysian manufacturing can deliver on the global stage.
Sime’s Group Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson said, “Inokom is a testament to what Malaysian industry is capable of achieving. It continues to uphold the trust of world-leading automotive marques, and this speaks volumes about the depth of capability
we have built here in Malaysia. This aligns closely with high-value, homegrown industrial strength that the national GEAR-uP agenda strives to nurture and sustain, particularly in advancing high-value manufacturing built on Malaysian expertise and capabilities that are
competitive on the global stage.”
He added, “The automotive landscape is changing rapidly, with new technologies, emerging markets and evolving expectations. We are committed to ensuring that Inokom stays ahead of the curve by continuously investing in our people, raising our standards and
expanding our capabilities. As an industrial anchor in the NCER, Inokom also continues to create meaningful opportunities, from developing high-value skills to supporting local businesses and contributing to the country’s broader economic resilience.”
Inokom assembled over 31,800 vehicles in 2025, exported 24,500 units across ASEAN from 2021-2025
News Reports PH
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