KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): Sime Darby Bhd (KL:SIME) said it remains optimistic about the current financial year ending June 30, 2027 (FY2027), especially for its motors division, as rising demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to be a key driver of the group’s top‑line growth.
The group said the BMW EV models built on the Neue Klasse platform — including the iX3, i3, X5 and i7 — have been launched and are open for booking, with deliveries to customers scheduled to begin by the end of this year.
“We saw more orders coming for BMW EV models steadily across Asia-Pacific markets,” said Andrew Basham, managing director of Sime Darby Motors, in a media briefing on Thursday.
“Currently, we feel very upbeat about what the Neue Klasse will bring to mainland China,” he said, noting that competition in the market remains intense.
Sime Darby saw a decline in China motor vehicle sales by some 12% to RM 10.9 billion for FY2026 from RM12.5 billion in FY2025.
“The auto segment is still pretty tough, particularly in China. However, we do very well in countries like Singapore and Malaysia, so that's going to continue to be good,” added Sime Darby group chief financial officer Muhammad Noor Abd Aziz.
Through Sime Darby Motors, the conglomerate distributes more than 30 automotive brands across 10 Asia-Pacific markets, including BMW, Porsche and BYD. Its Malaysian portfolio includes BMW, MINI, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai, Volvo, Ford and BYD.
For the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2026, Sime Darby reported a 57.8% decline in net profit to RM322 million, from RM763 million a year earlier, while revenue fell 5.9% to RM16.71 billion from RM17.76 billion.
The group’s revenue is derived from four segments, with the motors division contributing 49.7%, followed by the industrial segment at 26.5.0%, UMW at 23.6%, and others at 0.08%.
Sime Darby shares closed unchanged at RM2.51 on Thursday, valuing the group at RM17.1 billion. The stock has gained more than 22% in value year to date.