Automakers introduce new models in Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): The manufacturers of the Jaguar, Honda and Isuzu automobiles separately launched new models here on Tuesday in a bid to take advantage of rising demand in the local automotive market.
The British-made Jaguar had its official debut in Indonesia when its sole local agent, PT Grandauto Dinamika, launched four models of the exclusive sedan -- the New Jaguar S-Type, Jaguar XJ Series, Daimler Series and Jaguar XK Series.
The vehicles, all imported in completely-built up (CBU) form, come with price tags ranging from Rp 780 million (US$97,500) to about Rp 1.5 billion, not including registration fee and tax.
Honda's sole agent in the country, PT Honda Prospect Motor, launched its first locally assembled multipurpose vehicle, the Honda CR-V, marking the company's expansion into the nonsedan market.
The vehicle costs about Rp 196 million for two-wheel drive and Rp 244 million for four-wheel drive, registration fee and tax excluded.
Isuzu's sole agent in Indonesia, PT Pantja Motor, launched the latest version of its multipurpose vehicle, the New Panther.
The head of Jaguar Asia Pacific, John Graham, said Indonesia, which was seen as one of Asia's most promising markets for luxury vehicles, was showing strong signs of economic recovery, evidenced in the continued increase in demand for new cars, especially CBU models.
The sales manager of Honda Prospect Motor, Jonfis Fandi, echoed Graham's view, saying the recent significant increase in automotive sales had positively affected his company.
"Our sales soared to 5,000 units in the first eight months (of the year), twice as much as our initial target for the whole year," Jonfis said.
The steep rise in sales is fueled by consumer confidence and lower bank interest rates, he said.
Many consumers who postponed purchasing an automobile over the past two years due to concern over the situation in the country have now begun to enter the market, he said.
He said he was optimistic his company would book total sales of 9,500 units this year.
Taking note of the buoyancy in the market, automakers and dealers have revised the national car sales target from 240,000 units to 300,000 units for the year.
Some dealers partly attributed this new enthusiasm to the influx of the latest models of imported CBU vehicles.
Jonfis, however, said that despite the increasing demand for CBU vehicles, his company had no plan to import CBU models.
"The market for CBU cars is still very small, only about 1 percent," he said.
However, the chief operating office of Jaguar's local agent, Darwin Maspolim, sees a rosy outlook for CBU cars in the country.
He said the launch of Jaguar here was a first step toward establishing a niche in the luxury automobile market.
He said he was upbeat his company would sell more than 100 units this year. "And in the years to come we expect the sales to grow by 30 percent on average."
Graham said he was optimistic Jaguar would be able to compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which enjoy a lead in the CBU sedan market.
"The opportunity is very big here. We'll manage the competition," he said, adding that the company was counting on its after-sales service to build a loyal customer base.
Graham asserted his company had no plans to assemble Jaguars in Indonesia, saying the vehicles would continue to be manufactured solely in England to maintain their image and assurance of quality.
The Jaguar sedans and the new Honda CR-V will be on display along with numerous other CBU and locally assembled vehicles at the Gaikindo Automotive Expo 2000 at the Jakarta Convention Center from Sept. 6 to Sept. 12. (cst)