Bangkok, Thailand: Fresh, new and high quality products, backed by industry-recognized customer-care initiatives, have enabled Chevrolet Sales Thailand (Chevrolet) to end a record-breaking 2012 with a year-to-date (YTD) growth of 139 percent over the previous year’s sales in the Thai automotive market.
Chevrolet sold 75,461 vehicles in 2012 a growth of 139 percent compared to 31,595 vehicles sold in 2011, breaking its own all-time monthly sales record five times along the way, the most recent record-breaking month being December 2012. In month-on-month terms, Chevrolet sold 8,451 vehicles in December 2012, a 94-percent increase over December 2011 and a new monthly sales record in the history of Chevrolet Thailand.
The Colorado led sales in 2012, with 37,310 units sold, while despite the fact that 2012 was not a full sales year for the Trailblazer and the Sonic, both models had impressive sales figures of 5,495 units and 8,256 units respectively. Chevrolet also sold 11,170 Captivas and 8,824 Cruzes.
Chevrolet also continued to grow in other parts of the Southeast Asian region, recording continued year on year growth in all major markets including Indonesia (+17%), Malaysia (+60%), Singapore (+54%), Brunei (+72%) and the Philippines (+16%). Total sales of GM South East Asia reached 91,715 units, a 108% increase compared to the 44,076 units in 2011.
Speaking with journalists at a business review session, Mr. Martin Apfel, President of General Motors Southeast Asia Operations, summed it up succinctly: “Our growth and success in 2012 can be credited to the great products and great teamwork. We have an entirely fresh portfolio as we launched the Trailblazer, Sonic and most recently, debuted the Spin show-vehicle. We are backed by dedicated dealers, suppliers and business partners who are as passionate as we are when it comes to building and selling the best cars and trucks.
Chevrolet’s dealership expansion plan represents yet another step in the company’s continued investment in the region. In July 2012 Chevrolet opened its first dealership in Laos and in February 2013 will open its first dealership with its new distribution partner in Cambodia. By the end of 2013, Chevrolet will have 120 dealerships in Thailand, and along with its dealer network will invest an estimated THB 1.5 billion. This includes everything from renovation of existing dealerships to meet Chevrolet’s new Corporate Identity (CI) standards to new dealerships. The next new dealerships set to open are in Nakhonpathom, Aom-Yai (Bangkok) and Beungkarn.
Customers can also expect more new and exciting products to come from Chevrolet, most notably the Spin which will go on sale in 2013. The compact MPV, shown for the first time in Thailand at the recent Motor Expo, received highly-favorable feedback from visitors to the booth.
“This year is GM’s 20th year in Thailand and 2012 has been an impressive year for us with new products, new dealers and record breaking sales figures.We have been recognized by the most important institution – hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers. Clearly, 2012 has been a great year, but we will not stop here, we are set for growth in 2013, We are confident that we will break new records in 2013 with the same enthusiasm,” Apfel said.
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About Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited
Chevrolet Sales Thailand (Chevrolet) Limited was established on January 1, 2000, as a subsidiary of General Motors, one of the largest automakers in the world. The first vehicle introduced was the Chevrolet Zafira, the first multipurpose vehicle (MPV) launched in the Thai market. Today, Chevrolet has a comprehensive range of vehicles, including the Sonic, Aveo CNG, Cruze, Captiva, Colorado and Trailblazer. Chevrolet is committed to offering the best cars and trucks to its customers in terms of quality, performance and fuel economy. The company is equally committed to ensuring second-to-none aftersales service for its customers, backed by a growing dealer network in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
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About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
For more information please visit www.chevrolet.co.th, http://media.gm.com/ or www.facebook.com/chevyclub
