There Are Now 48 Honda Dealers in Malaysia
With the addition of another five new dealers, Honda Malaysia’s dealer network is now up to 48 nationwide. The new dealers signed their contracts yesterday at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur and all will have full-fledged ‘3S’ facilities, meaning that each will have a showroom, service centre and spare parts section in one location for the convenience of customers.
Four of the new dealers are located in the Klang Valley while one is in Penang, and all have many years of experience in selling cars. Some of them have previously been service centres too and are now expanding their operations to include sales.
While Honda Malaysia makes it a condition of dealership appointment to have a 3S concept, requiring a considerable investment by the dealer, it also recognizes that it will take a while for the facility to be set up as a large piece of land has to be acquired. Therefore, for the time being, many of them are operating in smaller premises and the service centres are in separate locations.
Although when Honda Malaysia (previously DOH) started 14 months ago, the sales volume seemed too low for the number of dealers in existence. However, with the exceptionally good sales of the new CR-V, the volumes have grown and by year’s end, the new Honda plant in Melaka will begin operations.
This means that Honda will be able to supply even more cars to the market in 2003 as it will not be constrained by the limitations of using a contract assembler. Its own plant, with a high degree of automation will have an installed capacity of 20,000 units a year – but initial output will be 10,000 units annually – and the first model to roll out early next year will be the CR-V. By 2004, a total of four models will be assembled at the plant, a Honda Malaysia source said.
Thus, in preparation for this higher volume in the very near future, the network is being beefed up, along with enhancing customer care services. The company is extremely serious about giving its customers the highest possible standards of service and is pushing its dealers hard on this.
It was also revealed at today’s event that Honda Malaysia is finalising its list of models to import as complete built-up (CBU) units to complement the locally-assembled models. It is able to do so as it has access to APs and gives assurance that whatever model it imports, the after-sales support and warranty will be provided in full.
On another note, Honda Malaysia’s MD/CEO, Mitsuru Ozaki, will be moving on to a new position as head of a new Honda operation in China while Mitsunari Takano, its GM of Sales & Distribution, will take up a new position as President of Honda Philippines. Their successors from Honda will be announced in due course.
