Indonesia - The company has decided to increase capacity at its manufacturing facility in Bekasi, primarily to keep up with rising demand for its Xpander crossover MPV. It can currently make around 115,000 units of the model though hopes to top 160,000 by fiscal year 2020, with the number of units exported rising from 30,000 to 50,000.
At the moment, total output potential of the Bekasi plant stands at 160,000 units per year, but the expansion will allow Mitsubishi to make 220,000 units by fiscal year 2020. In order to achieve this, the OEM said it would spend 4 billion yen (US$35m) on the facility will also employing an extra 800 people.
Mitsubishi also announced that the engine for the Xpander will now be made by Nissan Motor Indonesia (NMI), resulting in an increase to the ratio of localised parts in the model from 70% to 80%.
News of the expansion comes shortly after the OEM first revealed plans to increase Xpander output, though it has now revised numbers due to higher demand.
