Following the move by Jaguar Land Rover (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (JLRM), a joint venture between SISMA Auto and Sime Darby, to consolidate its retail operations in Malaysia, SISMA Auto has announced the opening of SISMA Auto Hub, a new premium multi-brand 3S centre to buy, sell or service any brand of luxury car.
Located at the former Jaguar Land Rover 3S centre in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor, the new SISMA Auto Hub Glenmarie has a 14-car showroom and a 16-workbay service centre.
While SISMA Auto still retains significant interest in the Jaguar Land Rover business as a joint venture partner in JLRM, it now plans to leverage its more than 25 years as a franchise dealer for Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo to offer the same premium 3S experience for any brand of luxury car.
Continuing to grow
The company aims to continue to grow with the Volvo Cars brand in Malaysia and has started construction of its flagship Volvo 3S facility in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur. The 50,000 square foot facility spread over 4 floors, represents a significant expansion of SISMA Auto’s Volvo business. It is expected to commence operations by the end of 2022.
Aside from Jaguar Land Rover (Malaysia) and SISMA Auto Hub, the company currently operates two Volvo outlets – a sales showcase atBukit Bintang and Service and Selekt Centre in a Glenmarie, next to the SISMA Auto Hub.
“We believe that a premium 3S experience should be available to all luxury car owners. At SISMA Auto Hub, our highly trained team will provide the same level of exceptional service that you have come to expect from SISMA Auto,” said Syed Khalil bin Syed Ibrahim, Managing Director of SISMA Auto.
Jaguar Land Rover (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (JLRM), a joint venture between Sime Darby Motors and SISMA Auto since 2014, will consolidate and strengthen Jaguar Land Rover retail business operations making it the sole importer and dealer in Malaysia.
The move will see the acquisition of dealer assets and transfer of staff from both Sime Darby Auto ConneXion and SISMA Auto and the consolidation of its central business operations into the Jaguar and Land Rover Dealership at Ara Damansara, Selangor. This outlet is currently the largest Jaguar Land Rover 4S facility within the South-East Asia region. JLRM, will also be operating its retail operations located in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang.
According to Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia, this is part of its ambitious plan to improve service capabilities and drive long-term growth for the brand. JLRM’s consolidation exercise will put the company in a stronger position to serve its customers, whilst optimising retail and distribution costs, as well as overheads.
“This consolidation will be a positive move towards better operational efficiency with elevated levels of premium services which will help drive long-term growth for the company. These measures will leverage on the company’s vast experience and accumulated knowhow through the decades to strengthen its processes and deliver more value to our customers,” he added.
JLRM expects this consolidation to continue to elevate customer experiences, differentiating it from the mass premium brands. Together with digitalization initiatives, it plans to invest more on technology and will increasingly deploy digitalisation over the next few years to improve its service capacity to deliver top-notch services to its customers.
The joint venture between SISMA Auto and Sime Darby Motors brings together more than 60 years of cumulative experience in the automotive business. Both entities have been credited with outstanding performances by securing top positions in the Retailer of the Year Award 2020/21 title for their superlative service and dedication to customers.
Tuan Syed Ahmad Muzri said customers can expect more luxurious and convenient services from Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia. “Those who wish to join the Jaguar and Land Rover family will find even more value and options, available at the 167,586 sq.ft. Ara Damansara facility which houses both new and approved Jaguar Land Rover pre-owned vehicles under one roof,” he said.
JLRM’s business includes the sale of pre-owned models, and the available stocks can be checked online at the company’s website.
JLRM will continue to invest heavily in training to grow the number of Jaguar Land Rover Master level 4 Technicians and Electric Vehicle Technology Certified Technicians in ensuring owners get the most from their vehicles. Sales and service advisors are also trained according to Jaguar Land Rover standards so that customers will always feel confident and secure as part of their purchase and ownership experiences.
Service Outreach programmes will also be curated to bring coverage to the southern region of Johore Bahru whilst it assumes retail coverage of the Northern region via its outlet in Penang Island.
The New Land Rover Defender was launched in Malaysia this week.All-electric I-PACE is one of the models that Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia will have in its showrooms.
As for product offerings, there will be new models in the near future from both the Land Rover and Jaguar brands. These include the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, XF Executive Sedan and I-Pace all-electric performance SUV. From Land Rover, there will be the Defender 90 following the recent launch of the New Defender 110 and an all-new Range Rover (to be revealed tomorrow).
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected but may not show symptoms. However, you can still spread the coronavirus to others near you. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
Proton, like other carmakers in Malaysia, has been seeing a steady sales growth since the government allowed businesses to start operating again from the middle of August. While there were only two weeks of operations in August and many sales outlets also had to prepare their premises to meet SOPs, September was a full month and customers began returning to showrooms.
For Proton, September was very encouraging as the total number of vehicles sold (including exports) was 10,380 units. The company estimates that the Total Industry Volume for the month will be around 43,500 units and, on that basis, Proton’s share would be 23.9%. This would keep it in second place in overall sales for 2021.
September’s sales volume takes the cumulative volume sold to 73,017 units after 8 months. That’s almost similar to the 73,547 units over the same period in 2020 although this year, Proton’s market share to date is slightly higher at 23% compared to 21.5%.
Although there is usually more news about the newer models like the X70 and X50, it was the Saga that was Proton’s bestseller in September. 3,907 units were sold, a number said to be the highest in the A-segment.
The newly launched Iriz and Persona also recorded strong first month sales. Even though production was affected by a shortage of components, the factory still managed to release 1,440 units of the Persona and 749 units of the Iriz (including the new Active variant) which were immediately delivered to customers.
As for the hotselling SUVs, deliveries accelerated to catch up with demand. For the X50, 2,431 units were delivered while 1,577 units of the X70 reached their new owners. To date in 2021, 27,312 units of SUVs have been sold by Proton which accounts for 37.4% of the overall year’s sales of 73,017 units.
“As the numbers show, sales were strong for Proton in September, so we are happy with the results. While we could have sold more than the 10,380 units achieved, some context should be given to our performance as Malaysia is recovering from a pandemic that is still affecting our vendors. The situation is slowly improving but the shortage of chips and other components is a real issue that will not change in the short term, so we must exercise caution when trying to forecast sales as production volumes remain subject to change,” explained Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.
“Therefore, for the remaining three months of the year, Proton will concentrate on meeting our commitments to our customers and delivering as many cars as possible. Clearing the backlog will free up more volume for the next calendar year and help us move forward with plans to expand our offerings both locally and in export markets,” he said.
Encik Roslan said that while there is growth in the number of bookings made online, Proton and its dealers have made big investments to upgrade the sales and service network the last few years. “The best brand experience is still delivered in person, so we have adopted new operational procedures in light of the pandemic situation,” he added.
With all states in Phase 2 or higher of the National Recovery Plan, all Proton outlets and service centres have now reopened nationwide. While operations remain governed by strict SOPs to limit the physical number of people at a facility, fully vaccinated customers can visit showrooms to view and test drive the company’s range of offerings.
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you can spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
As we gradually return to normalcy – but with a New Normal – activities in the auto industry are picking up again. Showrooms are resuming business and customers can visit them and even take test-drives (subject to the SOPs, of course). MN Wheels Sdn Bhd must be happy with the restrictions being lifted as it has been waiting to open its new 3S (sales, service and spare parts) outlet in Bukit Raja, Klang, Selangor.
Announcing the opening today, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) says it is the second Mitsubishi Motors showroom for the authorised dealership which has one more in Kuala Selangor. Both showrooms incorporate Mitsubishi Motors’ new corporate brand with the global tagline ‘Drive Your Ambition’. The corporate tagline underlines Mitsubishi Motors’ commitment to the values and aspirations of its drivers.
Latest models like the Outlander 7-seater SUV are available at the new Mitsubishi Motors dealership.
With a built-up area of close to 5,000 square feet, the new 3S Centre incorporates a comfortable customer lounge with wifi and displays of vehicles for visitors to view from any angle. As the ‘3S’ suggests, aftersales services are also available in the same location and there is a fully-equipped workshop with 3 service bays and trained technicians.
“Congratulations to MN Wheels for opening another Mitsubishi Motors showroom in Selangor. We have been in a very challenging business environment and despite that, MN Wheels have managed to complete the build-up of this impressive showroom with our new visual identity. This goes to show MN Wheels’ commitment to further strengthen Mitsubishi’s brand presence in Malaysia,” said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.
“With Mitsubishi Motors’ sales growing quickly and expected to increase over the coming years, we aim to open a new showroom in every quarter for Financial Year 2021 (ending March 2022),” he added. “This is part of our strategy that as we continue to grow, we put our customers at the forefront and as our utmost priority especially since we progressively work towards delivering the new XPANDER and Triton Athlete. We aim to serve our customers better in terms of sales and aftersales especially in the Klang Valley.”
SOPs for the protection of customers and staff will be followed in all areas of the dealership.
For more information about Mitsubishi vehicles in Malaysia and the locations of authorised dealers, visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.my.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM), like all the car companies, is happy to be able to resume business after over two months of forced shutdown of all retail activities. During that time, virtually no new vehicles were sold which of course has an impact on the year’s total sales volume. For the whole of 2020, which also had a period of shutdown, the company sold 3,379 Volkswagens and in the first 7 months, it sold 1,657 units. During the same period this year, it has reached only 1,110 units.
To celebrate the reopening of business and try to maximise sales in the remaining months, authorised Volkswagen dealers are offering exclusive deals that include free insurance coverage for the first year, RM3,500 rebate (if purchased online), and additional savings of up to RM6,500 for the Passat Elegance.
Those who choose the Passat R-Line will get a year’s supply of petrol free and additional savings of RM5,500; if they use the online channel for the purchase, they can get another RM3,500. The Tiguan Allspace Highline, a popular model, also has the RM3,500 rebate for online purchases, plus RM2,000 of savings. With the sales tax exemption still ongoing until the end of this year, customers also get to save money for all models.
For now, assembly of Volkswagen models in Malaysia are not affected by the global shortage of semiconductors. New units continue to roll out of the assembly facility in Pekan, Pahang, and there is no waiting period for any model as stocks are readily available.
Assembly of vehicles is still ongoing at the assembly facility in Pahang, although many factories around the world have to suspend operations due to the global shortage of semiconductors.
To comply with the latest set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Health Ministry, visitors to showrooms nationwide must have completed full vaccination (including the required period post-vaccination) to gain entry. They also have to follow the other SOPs that have been in force for more than a year, ie temperature scanning, registration via MySejahtera and wearing facemasks. VPCM gives assurance that only fully-vaccinated sales consultants will serve customers.
Those who wish to take test-drives are also permitted to do so in states under phase 2 of National Recovery Plan. They must also be fully-vaccinated individuals. All models in the Volkswagen line-up are available for test drive, including the recently launched Arteon R-Line 4MOTION.
During the Malaysia Day weekend period, Volkswagen dealerships will be hosting a virtual showroom event from September 16 to 19. Customers may tune in to the respective dealership’s social media channels to learn about the models and latest offers.
For more information or to locate an authorised dealership, visit www.volkswagen.com.my.
With the closure of retail outlets for almost 3 months due to suspension of activities by the government, there has been a clear impact on new vehicle sales and bookings. To boost sales in the remaining months of the year, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) will be having sales promotions.
For the month of September, customers can enjoy the lowest instalment for the Toyota Yaris from RM493 a month with EZ Beli, while those who buy a Toyota RAV4 can get a cash rebate of up to RM10,000. Customers can save money until the end of 2021 as the sales tax exemption applies to all new models, including imported CBU models. For the popular Toyota Alphard MPV, the savings amount to RM17,391.
Last year, UMWT reported total sales of 59,320 vehicles, consisting of 58,501 units from the Toyota brand and 819 units from the Lexus brand. The total sales volume of new Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the month of August was 2,524 units, 56% lower than for the same month in 2020. However, when comparing the first 8 months of 2021 with the same period in 2020, the total sales volume of Toyota and Lexus vehicles was 38,085 units in 2021 and 31,734 units in 2020. This was due to the continued strong sales momentum that started last year.
“It has certainly been challenging for us, but we understand the necessity of the actions taken by the Government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On our part, we have made sure that our workforce has been vaccinated so that we can safely resume and continue our activities at our facilities around the country,” said President of UMW Toyota Motor, Ravindran. K.
“Our loyal customers are also not forgotten and we will soon announce a new program that will reward them for their loyalty to the brand over more than five decades,” Mr. Ravindran added.
He gave assurance that all sales and service outlets will follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specified by the Health Ministry. Customers and visitors will be required to have temperature scans and register their visit using the MySejahtera app, as well as use hand sanitizers and facemasks at all times. The employees at all facilities will likewise follow SOPs for protection and safety.
Meanwhile, production activities have resumed at the two assembly plants in Selangor. While there is a small backlog of orders to meet due to the shutdown, UMW Toyota Motor expects to be able to deliver new vehicles to customers within a reasonable time-frame.
Assembly Services Sdn Bhd in Bukit Raja, Selangor, one of the two vehicle assembly plants of UMW Toyota Motor.
“We thank our loyal customers for their patience, support and understanding. It is a challenging time for everyone and we have been doing our best to assist customers by maintaining communication channels for them to use if they have a problem with their Toyota or Lexus vehicle. Now that activities can resume, we hope they will ensure that their vehicles continue to have maintenance service carried out,” added Akio Takeyama, Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor.
As with other many other car companies, Perodua has also resumed operations of its sales, aftersales centres, and related facilities nationwide. The re-opening of Perodua’s sales and aftersales centres comes after the resumption of its manufacturing activities at its headquarters complex in Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor recently. In total, Perodua has 191 sales, 197 service and 69 Body & Paint centres nationwide.
“Deliveries have started in stages this week and we expect that we can see more Perodua vehicles produced and registered in the coming weeks,” said Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad said.
Standard Operating Procedures will be strictly followed at all sales and aftersales centres for the protection of customers and employees..
Dato’ Zainal Abidin thanked Perodua customers for their patience, understanding and loyalty. We expect to be able to deliver nearly all existing orders within the year,” he said.
Impact of long closure
The effects of the shutdown of over 2 months ordered by the government under the Movement Control Order has had an impact on sales figures, as evident by the data compiled by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) up till the end of July.
“We are currently evaluating the impact of the lockdown that was introduced on June 1 2021 to our operations and we will announce our revised targets for the year soon,” Dato Zainal said. The Malaysian carmaker had set a target of 240,000 units for 2021 but after 7 months, its cumulative sales have reached only about 41% of that number.
Strict adherence to SOPs
While Perodua has met the required criteria for vaccinations of its employees – which determine the workforce capacity at the factory – the company has also established safety guidelines for its customers when visiting its sales and aftersales centres throughout the country. In accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures specified by the Health Ministry, these safety requirements include being fully vaccinated, wearing a facemask, making an appointment at the sales and/or service outlet before making a visit and to always observe physical distancing. All visitors must, of course, register on MySejahtera as well as have their temperatures checked.
To know more about Perodua models and the locations of showrooms and service centres, visit www.perodua.com.my.
In line with the National Recovery Plan and the latest list of permitted activities and businesses, most authorised Volkswagen showrooms in Malaysia have resumed operations. However, those located in Melaka, Johor, Kedah, Pahang, and Kelantan are still awaiting approval to operate.
To ensure the health and safety of both visitors and employees, all the showrooms will adhere to strict Government guidelines and #SafeHands measures. These include MySejahtera registration and temperature scans, mandatory facemask usage, regular sanitisation of showrooms and display cars, and others specified in the Standard Operating Procedures.
Whether visiting the showroom or service, all visitors must follow the Standard Operating procedures which now include the requirement for full vaccination.
Must be fully vaccinated
Only fully vaccinated visitors are allowed, and they should have completed no less than 14 or 28 days (depending on the vaccine taken) after receiving their vaccination. Visitors are encouraged to make an appointment prior to their visits by contacting their preferred Volkswagen dealer whether to the showroom or service centre.
“The closure of showrooms in the past months affected our business performance, but we look forward to seeing the industry reopen and move forward, together with the support of our dealers,” said Managing Director of VPCM, Erik Winter, who welcomes the government’s decision to reopen sales and manufacturing operations.
Use Volkswagen’s online channel to buy Volkswagen’s global bestseller in August and you can save extra money.
Special offers for Merdeka month
In conjunction with the reopening of showrooms and the upcoming Merdeka holiday, authorised Volkswagen dealers will be hosting a virtual showroom event on their social media channels this August 27 – 31. As part of the celebration, Volkswagen is offering exclusive online savings of RM4,500 on the Tiguan Allspace Highline and RM7,500 on the Passat R-Line until August 31, 2021. Remember that there are additional savings as sales tax is exempted until the end of this year.
For information on the Volkswagen product range and locations of dealers in Malaysia, visit www.volkswagen.com.my.
Over at Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), opening of all its authorised Nissan showrooms will take place progressively from tomorrow (Friday, August 20). With the exception of a few outlets, all showrooms (branches and dealers) in Perlis, Penang, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan will open from tomorrow. Those that do not will do so by August 23. However, in Kedah, Melaka and Johor, the showrooms will still remain closed until further notice.
Peace-of-mind experience for customers
“ETCM adhere to strict standard operating procedures (SOP) ensuring the safety of its employees and a peace-of-mind experience for customers at all times. Only vaccinated employees including post-vaccine incubation period are allowed to resume work in Nissan showrooms. All employees will be wearing face mask, undergo frequent body temperature check, and regular disinfecting will be carried out at the showrooms including display and test drive vehicles, the company said in a statement today.
Customers are also advised to comply with SOPs when entering the premises; ensure full vaccination including post-vaccine incubation period, provide proof of digital certificate on MySejahtera, have a body temperature below 37.5°C and wear a face mask. Other SOPs set by the Government remain active.
Customers requiring more information can visit www.nissan.com.my or call the Nissan Customer Care Centre hotline at 1800-88-3838.
Isuzu Malaysia’s customers can expect a safer and more immersive Isuzu experience in the era of the New Normal as the country continues on its journey to recovery from the pandemic. This is the promise from Kenkichi Sogo, the company’s new Light Commercial Vehicle Division’s Chief Operating Officer, as the continuing threat of infections necessitates the enforcement of various safety measures.
Among the measures Isuzu Malaysia has initiated has been the development of an online experience including a 360-degree augmented reality showcase offering prospects an immersive look into the design and features of the latest D-Max pick-up truck before they even need to step into the showrooms. Most shopping tools ranging from loan calculations to maintenance costs are interactively available at the website (pickuptruck.isuzu.net.my), allowing visitors to make informed choices before requesting online for a test drive vehicle to be brought to them at a safe and convenient location.
Procedures for vehicle servicing and maintenance have also been reviewed with the aim of ensuring minimal backlog and ensuring a smoother and efficient flow of vehicles brought in for servicing. Customers are encouraged to make their service appointments directly with their dealers early to ensure their preferred time slots are available.
With over 500 monthly bookings for the new D-Max since its launch, the task in hand will also be to safely hand over the vehicles to the customers. “Due to the restrictions in operations and the limited amount of logistics activities allowed over the past months, a key initiative will be to safely and efficiently deliver the new vehicles to their owners as quickly as possible. We hope all our customers will remain patient and maintain compliance to the set procedures to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for all,” said Mr. Sogo.
He added that while the new D-Max has created a significant amount of interest and witnessed a surge in vehicle bookings over the past 3 months, resulting in Isuzu consecutively claiming the No.2 spot in its segment.
An Isuzu dealership in Taiping, Perak.
“The launch of our latest Isuzu D-Max model during the pandemic necessitated a paradigm shift in the way we presented our new models to prospective customers. As we move towards greater leniency, we need to vigilantly evolve yet remain relevant to the situation in our Gemba (operating environment),” said Mr. Sogo.
Mr. Sogo, 43, is no stranger to the Malaysian market. He spent the last 4 years in Isuzu Malaysia as General Manager overseeing operations of the light commercial vehicle division and parts operations. A graduate of Keio University in Japan, Mr. Sogo began his career in Mitsubishi Corporation in 2001 and has been involved with the Isuzu business for the past 7 years. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Isuzu Malaysia as successor to Masayuki Suzuki, who has returned to the head office in Japan to take on a new position.
To know more about Isuzu vehicles and the locations of authorised dealers, visit www.isuzu.net.my.
