Starsauto to launch new car

JAKARTA (JP): PT Starsauto Dinamika, a joint-venture company comprised of Daewoo Corporation of South Korea and Indonesia's Starsurya Group, says it will launch its Espero 2000 cc MPi sedan here next Tuesday.

"About 3000 Esperos have been prepared for marketing here this year," Starsauto's vice president, Darwin Maspolim, said yesterday.

Marketing director Franky Suhalim said that, in the first instance, local content in the car will be less than 20 percent, but that the proportion will be increased as the company's factory is expanded.

The factory is expected to have an output of 50,000 sedans and 10,000 commercial vehicles per year.

Vice president Tae Joon Choi said Indonesia is a part of Daewoo's expansion plan in Asia.

Starsauto Dinamika is 51 percent owned by Daewoo Motor Corporation and 49 percent by the Starsurya Group.

"We will open 40 outlets in various cities in Java and Bali by the end of this year and we are also preparing to launch our next sedan -- the Nexia 1500 cc -- soon," Darwin said.

Daewoo's core businesses are in trading, construction, heavy industry and shipbuilding, electronics, electrics, telecommunications, motor vehicles and components, finance and hotels.

In the year 2000, Daewoo expects to have total sales of $134 billion and to produce 2.2 million cars through 430 branches worldwide.(31)