SHAH ALAM, March 23 (Bernama) -- UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd, assembler and distributor of Toyota vehicles in Malaysia, today launched the new locally-assembled Toyota Camry Hybrid, aiming to produce some 7,000 units of the variant this year.

UMW Toyota Motor Chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin said the Toyota Camry Hybrid CKD (completely knocked-down), the first hybrid car to be assembled at Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) here, shows the company's determination and commitment to produce cars that meet customers' expectations.

"The group expects to roll out some 7,000 units of the all-new Toyota Camry over the next nine months.

"Between 2010 and 2015, UMW Toyota has so far invested close to RM180 million for the Toyota Camry CKD project," he said at the launch by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed at ASSB here Monday.

At the same function, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd also launched the new assembly line at its plant here, which will be operated and managed by ASSB.

The newly-set up line at the Shah Alam plant is capable of churning out 9,000 units of the Camry -- 7,000 of which will be the Hybrid variant -- over the next nine months.

Three variants will be produced here -- the Camry 2.0E and 2.0G petrol and the Camry Hybrid 2.5HV, the latter being the first Toyota hybrid to be assembled in Malaysia.

Asmat said UMW Toyota has sold 116,000 units of Toyota Camry since it was first introduced in the country in 1994.

Meanwhile at the press conference later, UMW Toyota Motor President Datuk Ismet Suki said the new hybrid will cost not more than RM200,000, adding that there will be a media launch on April 2.

Asked about the upcoming Goods and Services Tax (GST) starting April 1 this year, Ismet said any savings made from the tax will be passed on to the customer.

He also said the company aims to sell close to 100,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in order to achieve a market share of more than 15 per cent this year.

He said the company strongly believes that the automotive industry in the country will continue to grow this year despite the implementation of the GST.

In 2014, Toyota saw its domestic sales rise 11.9 per cent to 102,035 units from 91,185 units in 2013, expanding its market share to 15.3 per cent in 2014 from 13.9 per cent in 2013.