Volvo Car Malaysia Maintains Sales Growth Despite Challenging Environment

Volvo Car Malaysia stated that it managed to maintain its sales growth in 2020 despite the challenging market environment. While the company saw a dip in sales performance in the first half of 2020, falling by  56.1%, it managed to recover in the second half of the year. By the end of 2020, Volvo Car Malaysia recorded total sales of 1,950 units. This is a 3.6% increase, surpassing the previous year’s sales of 1,883 units. It also sets a new record for the highest sales performance since the establishment of Volvo Car Malaysia. Volvo Car Malaysia may be a relatively niche player in Malaysia but it continues to make an impact for the local automotive industry. The company also assembles hybrid vehicles in Malaysia for regional export.

“We are very proud of what Volvo Car Malaysia has achieved despite this turbulent time and challenges that we faced. Through the collective efforts of our dealers and staff, as well as the opportune timing of the government’s sales tax holiday, we were able to finish a challenging year strongly. For us, seeing the results of our efforts has further recharged our drive to bring more premium, safe and sustainable cars to Malaysians,” said Nalin Jain, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia.

The recovery in sales performance is mainly due to the PENJANA intiative which provided sales tax exemptions for new cars. Recording its second highest sales of the year in July 2020, also indicates to Volvo Cars that the demand for luxury cars remains high as the car market began to normalise. The improved sales was also made possible with Volvo Car Malaysia reinforcing its customer service channels and adopting new digital practices.

To cater to the changing market situation, Volvo Car Malaysia introduced a new Online Ordering System for customers to make online bookings. It also implemented the Digital Silent Salesman (DSS) 2.0, a platform that digitally displays all necessary details about the cars, in all Volvo showrooms in Malaysia. The new digital practices are part of the company’s push for digital transformation across the entire value chain of its business. It also reflects its commitment towards sustainability goals by eradicating printed materials.

Sustainability And Safety Beyond 2020

With sustainability as a priority in the coming years, Volvo Car Malaysia kicked off the “Volvo Green Planet” initiative in the third quarter of 2020. This is a campaign aimed at driving awareness about the impact of high carbon footprint, which can be calculated with a ‘Greenterest Calculator’, and bringing the conversation to its customers with fully-electric test drives of their cars (Green Drive), and dispensing Green Seeds as a token to champion cleaner air.

As a leader in safety, 2020 also saw Volvo, as a group, opening a much needed and controversial conversation on the perception of safety with its “A Million More” campaign which followed its announcement, in March, of the 180 km/h speed cap for all its new vehicles. Much like the initial reception towards the three-point safety belt, the speed cap was the topic of debate in 2020 in the automotive sector, to which Volvo takes a stance in its decision to ensure the safety of the people in cars and on the road, and save a million more lives. Volvo had made a pledge that by 2020, no one will be killed or seriously injured in one of their new cars, and this speed cap is just one of its methods of ensuring that promise is kept.

Recharging For 2021

Based on the past year’s performance, Volvo Car Malaysia is looking to continue this growth momentum in 2021 with renewed purpose and recharging all areas of its business. It aims to continue to provide more Malaysians with a premium experience as well as freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way.

“2021 will be a big year for Volvo Car Malaysia as we look to switch all aspects of our business to incorporate more sustainable solutions and also bring in more products offerings to suit the different needs of Malaysians while helping them make more sustainable choices.

“We will continue to push for digital transformation to build a strong digital system to support our customer’s journey seamlessly – from the beginning of the buying process to owning a Volvo and the aftersales care that they need, while upholding our promise of professional service, leading safety technology, and a caring mindset in everything we do,” concludes Nalin.