Peugeot dealer upbeat on future
JAKARTA (JP): PT Multi France Motor (MFM), the authorized dealer of the French automobile Peugeot, expects a fivefold increase in sales this year to 2,500 units from 500 in 2000.
MFM managing director Wiwiek D. Santoso said here on Friday sales in 2000 were low because the company only offered completely built-up (CBU) vehicles.
The sale of locally assembled cars was halted in 2000 following the closure of the local assembly plant in 1998, she said.
"Peugeot only started marketing its products in the second half of the year, but it was limited to the CBU cars," Wiwiek said.
MFM, which is the sole agent selling Peugeot cars in Indonesia, imports CBU and completely knocked-down (CKD) cars.
Wiwiek said the company's assembly lines resumed operation in November last year to meet the surge in car demand in the country.
The company's optimism is in contrast to the zero growth predicted for Indonesia's automotive market this year.
Wiwiek said that although the market predictions are gloomy, MFM believes the domestic political uncertainty has done little damage to the business world.
"The exchange rate of the rupiah against the dollar has not been greatly affected (by the demonstrations), so we have a pretty good reason to be optimistic," she said during the launch of Peugeot's 306 ST, a makeover of the French automaker's older 306 series.
Although MFM failed to cash in on much of the thunder of last year's robust automotive market, Wiwiek said the company would be able to make up for it this year.
Indonesia's total car sales jumped to 310,000 units last year from 95,000 in 1999.
"Bringing in European cars is not as simple as bringing in Japanese cars. There are things such as the position of the steering wheel and temperature and humidity concerns to be dealt with first," she said.
The older 306 series, introduced in Indonesia in 1996, saw brisk sales of about 1,500 units a year, however it has dropped out of the market since the economic crisis.
This year, MFM hopes to see sales of the 360 ST to reach between 500 and 600 units, Wiwiek said.
The 306 ST comes with a new bumper design in the same color as the car, diamond-cut headlights, titanium dashboard panel and tinted glass. The makeover gave a sleeker, more dynamic look to Peugeot's conservative 360 model, she said.
Priced at Rp 196 million (about US$20,600) on-the-road, the car also comes with several safety features such as dual air bags, re-tension seat belts and an engine electronic immobilizer which cuts off engine power when started without the original key. (tnt)