Daihatsu to boost production in Indonesia

Indonesian car maker PT Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) said it will increase its production by 48% to 225,000 units this year from 152,000 units last year despite a threat of a market slump because of recent fuel price hikes in the country. ADM, which produces multi-purpose vehicles, jeeps and pick-up cars, has an annual production capacity of 211,000 units but production could reach as high as 250,000 units, Sudirman said. He said buyers are queuing with some orders which could be fulfilled after three to four months. ADM, a subsidiary of PT Astra International, Indonesia’s largest automotive company, also exports part of its production such as Gran Max pick-up to Japan. (May 30, 2008)