New SsangYong 3S Centre for Northern Region
SsangYong owners in the northern region of Peninsula Malaysia will be pleased to know that Competitive Supreme, the distributor of the SsangYong Chairman and Rexton and other CBU models, has just opened a 3S (Sales, Service and Spareparts) centre at AutoCity, a special commercial development adjacent to the North-South-Highway near Juru, on the mainland across from Penang island.
The new 3S centre, built at a cost of around RM1 million, is the company’s second such facility, following the one which was opened in Johor Bahru last June. Competitive Supreme’s head office in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, is a 4S centre (Sales, Service, Spares & Storage) which serves the Klang Valley area and also provided support for all SsangYong outlets, of which there are 60 nationwide.
Speaking to invited guests and the media at the opening ceremony yesterday, Competitive Supreme Managing Director Muhammad Fadhil Ahmad said: “Our customers in the northern region can now get the best after-sales services direct from Competitive Supreme,” adding that the company has direct contact with the Korean automaker so it can offer the best after-sales services for SsangYong vehicles.
According to Melvinder Singh, Competitive Supreme’s General Manager, the new 3S centre has been designed in consultation with SsangYong Motor and conforms to their latest corporate identity.
“With space being a major limitation in many parts of the world, facilities such as this one have only a modest showcase area and the remaining floor space is maximized for the workshop usage and other convenience areas,” he said. “The other major advantage of having a modestly-sized property is cost; our operating costs will translate directly to the costs we have to pass on to customers hence keeping operation costs down and remaining efficient will benefit customers.”
“As recommended by SsangYong Motor, the latest service equipment and all the necessary special tools are used in the workshop. The technicians have received extensive training so they can look after SsangYong cars properly,” he added. “Incidentally, if there is a case where we have to retain a car for more than a day to rectify a problem, we will offer the customer another vehicle to use till he or she can get the car back. This will ensure that their mobility is not hampered since time is money.”
With the new 3S centre providing increased presence in the northern region, Competitive Supreme is confident that it will see greater sales volume in 2004 and Encik Mohammad Fadhil said that the target is around 2,500 units.. Last year, the company sold 1,500 units of Chairman and Rexton during its first full year of business.
“The good sales of SsangYong cars has been largely due to the good acceptance of our cars by the Malaysian public who is very discerning and looks for real value,” he noted.
In conjunction with the opening of the new 3S centre, Competitive Supreme also officially launched the second generation of its luxurious flagship model, the Chairman. Numerous changes have been made inside and outside the New Chairman, giving it a more distinctive look, but it continues to use the platform adapted from the Mercedes-Benz W124 model. It also has a Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic transmission.
“The New Chairman is positioned as a Premium Passenger Car and I am confident it can meet the high expectations our customers in this segment,” said Encik Muhammad Fadhil.
Three versions of the New Chairman, which is imported as a Completely Built Up (CBU) model from Korea, will be available with prices ranging from RM198,000 – RM298,000. Engine displacements are 2.3 litres (4 cylinders), 2.8 litres and 3.2 litres (both in-line 6 cylinders). All versions come with a high level of standard equipment and features and a factory warranty of 3 years/100,000 kms (whichever comes first). According to Mr Singh, the 100,000 km mileage is more realistic for its customers, many of whom are high-mileage drivers.
