Bermaz Motor Has Over 8,000 Units Of Backlogged Orders To Clear

Bermaz Motor, the distributor of Mazda vehicles in Malaysia, has enough backlogged orders to keep them busy until early next year. According to an investor’s newsletter published by the RHB Research Institute, which tracks the stock value of Bermaz Motor’s parent company Bermaz Auto Bhd. (BAuto), demand for Mazda vehicles has outstripped supply many times over.

During the three-month zero-rated GST period between June and August 2018, Bermaz had collected about 8,000 orders for its range of Mazda vehicles, exceeding initial estimates by about 3,000 units.

Actual orders collected to date however could be much higher, possibly going into the five digits range. Remember that Bermaz had also announced that it will be absorbing any increase in prices due to SST, even on cars delivered after SST’s implementation on 1-September, so long as the bookings were made before 1-September.

Considering that Bermaz’s average monthly sales hovers around 1,100 to 1,200 cars per month, the current backlog in orders will keep the company busy through the first quarter of 2019. The Mazda Malaysia plant in Kulim, a joint venture between Bermaz Auto and Mazda Motor Corporation, is currently operating near its capacity limit and based on the latest data obtained for July 2018, is churning over 2,000 cars per month but the numbers include CX-5 models destined for Thailand and the Philippines. Supply of CX-5 and Mazda 3, the only two models assembled at Kulim will remain tight until early 2019.