Bimantara plans to launch new car this year: Jongkie
Bimantara plans to launch new car this year: Jongkie
JAKARTA (JP): PT Citramobil Nasional, a subsidiary of
Bimantara Citra group, is set to launch a new car this year amid
stiff market competition.
President of the firm Jongkie D. Soegiarto said last week the
firm would go ahead with the plan despite a workers' strike at
the company's principal in South Korea.
"The strike in South Korea will not have a big impact on
Citramobil Nasional," he said.
He declined to give details about the type and price of the
planned new car.
The company has already produced the Bimantara Cakra and
Nenggala sedans in cooperation with its Korean partner Hyundai.
He said the company managed to sell 1,100 Bimantara Cakra
sedans and 1,000 Bimantara Nenggala cars last year.
He said his company projected selling at least 5,000 of each
model in 1997.
He told The Jakarta Post earlier that Bimantara Citra and
Hyundai would establish a car assembling plant in Purwakarta,
West Java.
PT Bimantara Hyundai Indonesia, the joint venture, would
invest around US$400 million (Rp 944 billion) for the
construction of the plant.
He said the plant was expected to operate by the end of 1998
or early 1999.
The companies are expected to invest in the plant in
Purwakarta either through a joint venture or technical
assistance.
Jongkie said his firm would likely produce a commercial car as
the commercial market has not been saturated yet.
He said a commercial car would certainly supplement the sedan
car market.
He said there was a market for both sedan and commercial type
cars in Indonesia.
By the end of last year, he said, the market share of
commercial cars accounted for 60 percent while sedans accounted
for 40 percent.
Bimantara Citra is a subsidiary of the Bimantara Citra, which
is controlled by Bambang Trihatmodjo, President Soeharto's second
son.
The business group which was founded in 1982, is a holding
company with 26 subsidiaries. Among the 26 subsidiaries, the
largest share of earnings is contributed by RCTI, the country's
first private television station. (09)