Sime sees 35pc revenue from China arm

Sime Darby Motor Sdn Bhd, the motoring arm of Sime Darby Bhd, expects its China division to contribute 35 per cent to revenue
in the financial year ended June 30, 2011.

Its managing director Datuk Lawrence Lee said this would surpass the division's 30 per cent contribution to Sime Darby Motor overall turnover of RM10.1 billion in the previous financial year.

The performance has been boosted by the growth of China's automotive market which is expected to record 22 million total industry volume this year, Lee said during a press briefing here today.

He said as at March this year, China's region including Hong Kong and Macau contributed 40 per cent or RM4.606 billion of the company's RM11.5 billion revenue.


At the group level, he said the RM11.5 billion recorded by the company was equivalent to about 30 per cent of Sime Darby's total revenue in the third quarter ended March 31, 2011.

For the full year, Sime Darby Motor expected to sell 70,000 units of cars in eight countries including Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore with the sales of 27,000 units to come from the China division.

Last year, the company sold 56,836 units of cars across the countries. Currently, it represents 32 marques ranging from premium and super premium brands such as BMW, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and McLaren to various mass market brands like Hyundai and Mazda. -- Bernama