General Motors Indonesia optimist on 2000 sales target
General Motors Indonesia optimist on 2000 sales target
JAKARTA (JP): PT General Motors Indonesia (GMI) is confident
it will be able to meet its target of selling 7,000 cars this
year despite fears that political uncertainty could hamper a
recovery in the automotive market during the second quarter of
the year.
GMI president Luis F.F. Madaleno said on Thursday that he
believed political uncertainty would not last long and the
government would be able to cope with the problems.
"I would say that we're still very optimistic for the second
half of the year," GMI president Luis F.F. Madaleno announced at
a news conference.
He said as of June 2000, the company had sold 3,000 of its
Opel Blazer sport utility vehicle (SUV) series.
The automotive industry has enjoyed growing sales especially
since the election of President Abdurrahman Wahid in October,
which helped ease tension surrounding the country's political
condition. But analysts have said consumer confidence is
declining as political uncertainty increases.
"But I really expect that some uncertainty in the market will
be overcome," he said.
GMI underlined its optimism with plans to introduce its
Chevrolet brand to the Indonesian market some time this year.
He said with the entrance of Chevrolet, GMI would represent
two car brands in the Indonesian market.
However, Madaleno declined to say when Chevrolet was slated to
enter Indonesia, saying only that it might be after August.
He said Chevrolet was selected for Indonesia because the brand
offered more variety of models and was present in several Asia
Pacific markets.
Besides Chevrolet, he said, the company would introduce other
brands to Indonesia as part of its new retail strategy called GM
AutoWorld.
The GM AutoWorld concept will allow the sales of various GM
brands under one dealer, with after sales services backed up by
the company's global resources, Madaleno explained.
The General Motors' brands are Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick,
GMC, Hummer, Holden, Saturn, Pontiac, SAAB, Opel and Vauxhall.
GM AutoWorld has been adopted in Taiwan and South Korea with
the Philippines and Indonesia soon following, the company's media
release said.
He said the 39 Opel Blazer dealers across Indonesia would
gradually adopt the new concept of GM AutoWorld.
GMI marketing director Kris A. Mayer said the company planned
to first introduce the concept to eight dealers in the areas of
Jakarta and Bandung. (bkm)