GO Automobile Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, the licensed manufacturer of China’s Great Wall Motors’ M4 compact sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in Malaysia, is confident that its extremely competitively-priced units will sell fast and hopes to sell 1,200 units by year-end.
Carrying price tags of between RM47,000 and RM59,000 each across six variants, Go Automobile chief executive officer Ahmad Azam Sulaiman said he is confident the M4 will punch above its weight in the local compact SUV market.
“We are certain that Malaysians will find the price point very attractive. It is affordable, energy efficient and attractive in all aspects,” he said at the launch yesterday.
He said the buyers being targeted by the M4 are young first-time car owners, as well as upgraders who need a sizable car to ferry their children and families around.
Go Automobile’s ambition is to reach the 12,000-unit sales mark by the end of next year, or 1,000 units per month.
It has also set a target of selling 5,000 units of M4 in Thailand and Cambodia by 2015.
Go Automobile is upgrading its manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah, to increase its capacity to 25,000 units a year from 12,000 units currently.
It hopes to produce 100,000 cars a year by 2018, with the aim of penetrating other Asean markets.
Go Automobile said since the M4 was first launched in China last year, more than 200,000 units have since been sold in more than 100 countries.
The company is aware of the low brand recognition for Great Wall Motors’ vehicles in the local market.
As a result, Ahmad Azam said promotional activities will start in October and be carried out throughout all of next year.
Go Automobile has set aside RM5 million till end of this year and another RM15 million next year for the promotional activities.
Go Automobile has 20 dealerships nationwide and this is expected to be raised to 65 by 2018.