KUALA LUMPUR: Naza Automotive Group, the motor division of Naza Group, is banking on the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) to expand its distributorship for Suzuki vehicles in Malaysia.
Chief executive officer Datuk Nik Hamdam Nik Hassan said the group can leverage on Suzuki Motor Corp's plants in Indonesia and Thailand, importing certain Suzuki models to Malaysia.
"For the initial years of operations, we can pick and choose certain Suzuki models that are well-suited for the local market. These vehicles will have a zero-import duty and hence the need to assemble Suzuki vehicles locally can be looked upon after reaching a sustainable volume," he told the New Straits Times and Berita Harian in an interview recently.
However, Nik Hamdam said there was no rush in executing the plan as the Japanese principal would also be looking at growth strategy for the Asean region.
Naza Automotive Group's unit Naza Eastern Motors Sdn Bhd was appointed as the new distributor for Suzuki vehicles in July 2020 after the marque's several years of absence in the local market.
The appointment would allow Naza Eastern to sell and provide after-sales service of new generation Suzuki vehicles only.
The group recently launched the new Suzuki Swift Sport, fully imported from Japan as it was rebuilding the brand in Malaysia with the unveiling of the first Suzuki 3S flagship showroom located at NAZA Automall in Petaling Jaya.
Nik Hamdam said the group was exploring introducing another variant of the Swift model.
It could come in as a completely built unit from Thailand by 2022, subject to business viability.
On the Suzuki Swift Sport sales target, he said the hot-hatch segment was not saturated as its previous local competitors namely the Peugeot 208 GTI, Volkswagen Polo GTI and Renault Clio RS and Honda CRZ had all left the market.
"It is a good value for money. We saw a vacancy in this hot-hatch segment other than Mini Cooper. It is a forgotten segment although the volume is small. It is a starting point for us to offer a high-end premium for hot hatch segment," he added.
Nik Hamdam said the group would consider locally assemble certain Suzuki models in the future, subject to having agreements with Suzuki.
He said Naza Automotive aspired to offer premium and super lifestyle under its stable, targeting a certain group of clientele locally.
"With Suzuki, we are now looking at the niche market under the mass volume producing car category. The niche product signifies a high end and lifestyle model, complementing our offering for the premium selection as the other brands within Naza's stable," he added.
Nik Hamdam said the next phase to grow the Suzuki brand was to introduce another model quickly and identify established dealer-principal that could represent the Suzuki brand at key market centres.
For a start, he said the group had targeted to appoint dealerships in the key local markets such as Johor Bahru, Penang and Melaka, and to focus on its flagship 3S operations in the Klang Valley
"The Suzuki brand is more for the masses. We expect to appoint Suzuki dealers in the third or fourth quarter of this year. We want dealers to invest in a 3S centre (sales, service and spare parts)," he said.
Separately, the group will consider introducing the Suzuki Jimny, a full imported top-end model from Japan.