China's Chery to assemble two models in M'sia this year
Published on: Saturday, April 19, 2008
CYBERJAYA: China's automaker Chery Automobile Co Ltd plans to assemble two of its flagship models - the B14 (multi-purpose vehicle) and Tiggo (sport-utility vehicle) - in Malaysia this year in a move to capture the regional market.Its president Yin Tong Yao said Friday that this could be realised after the group signed a joint-venture agreement with Alado Corp Sdn Bhd on the rights to import, assemble and distribute Chery cars in Malaysia."Chery embraces to start of this cooperation as an opportunity to showcase our right-hand-drive manufacturing capabilities and to further develop our ability to better serve the customers in Malaysia and overseas through assembled models here," he said.ADVERTISEMENT "In the initial stage of this joint venture, we will assemble two flagship models in which the work will be based in Johor Baharu," he told reporters after signing the agreement with Alado Corp here.The signing ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.It is learnt that the assembly activities are expected to take place at a third-party assembly plant and the first model will be launched in the third quarter of this year.The B14 is a four-cylinder water-cool, 16-valve multipoint fuel injection engine MPV and is available with two types of engine displacement - the 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre.ADVERTISEMENT The Tiggo model, which caters for both city and rural driving, is also equipped with four-cylinder water-cool, DOHC (double overhead camshaft), 16-valve multipoint fuel injection and comes with an engine displacement of 2.0-litre.Yin said further development would be made in the context of after-sales and service support activities for Chery cars with the setting up of at least 30 fully fledged 3S (sales, service and spare parts) centres and appointment of at least 100 service dealers nationwide.
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"The Asean Free Trade Agreement will allow our new joint venture to thrive and grow as a hub for exports to other right-hand-drive markets like Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Australia and even the United Kingdom," he said."It is our expressed intention to further invest in Malaysia in the coming years and to expand from this first joint venture phase to develop more deeply rooted cooperation within the Malaysian automotive industry."Alado Corp's chairman Datuk Musa Saad said the joint venture will provide a platform for the nurturing of the car industry to complement the growth of related automotive parts industry.It will also create job opportunities and promote economic growth, he said."In line with our government's policy to develop the automobile industry to rival that of neighbouring countries, we hope to realise this objective in the very near future together with our partner Chery Automobile with the establishment of Malaysia as regional hub for the manufacture and distribution of all Chery right-hand-drive vehicles," Musa said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Such activities, he said, will help to develop and grow the supporting automotive parts industry in the country."It will put Malaysia on map as an important regional hub for the sourcing and supply of car automotive parts," he added. - Bernama