Peugeot dealer upbeat on future
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)