After several years of being sheltered in Ecuador under the distribution umbrella of General Motors (Chevrolet), Suzuki considered that it was time to start a career independently, with its own points of sale to further grow its participation.
The brand of Japanese origin began in the
middle of the pandemic the search for a new representative for Ecuador through
an international process. The company chosen was SZK del Ecuador, a firm whose
main shareholders are businessmen from the Casabaca group and other executives
with experience in the industry.
Suzuki was attracted by the plan proposed by
this company, which estimates to invest more than $ 20 million in the project
to introduce the brand autonomously. The commercialization of cars will start
in July; the first imports are on their way to the country.
They will begin with the sale of the S-Cross, a
model of the SUV category that was already sold at Chevrolet. And in the
remainder of the year, they will introduce another two vehicles in this
segment. Suzuki has in this category models such as the Vitara and Jimny, which
have received renovations.
The SUV segment has been gaining space in
Ecuador. In 2020, 32,793 SUVs were sold in the country, surpassing the
28,545 units in the automobile segment, according to data from the Association
of Automotive Companies of Ecuador (Aeade).
Suzuki has plants in different countries in
Asia and Europe. SUVs are made in Hungary and part of the production will be
imported from there; the rest will come from Japan, India, and Indonesia,
according to Esteban Acosta, SZK general manager of Ecuador.
Considering the current scenario and
considering that sales will begin in the second semester, the company plans to
place some 1,500 units in the remainder of 2021.
The executive maintains that they intend to
gradually expand Suzuki's portfolio in different segments. This brand, for
example, in Chile sells about fifteen models and is number two in sales.
“We believe that it can reach stellar sales
positions, due to the prices, since they are adapted to the consumer in the
region. In Ecuador, more than 50% of cars are sold for less than $ 20,000, and
more than 70% of SUVs are sold for less than $ 30,000 and that is where Suzuki
has its prices, ”says Acosta.
The idea of the new representative of The Japanese brand is to take advantage of the recognition that the brand already
has in Ecuador to consolidate greater participation. And they will seek that
with a greater presence in key cities for the automotive business.
SZK del Ecuador carried out a study that took
about six weeks and determined that the brand was in position 8 among the 10
most recognized among consumers. Sebastián Becerra, head of marketing,
maintains that this gives them a positive outlook because the Ecuadorian identifies
the brand.
The company plans to own 60% of the dealer
network in cities such as Quito and Guayaquil. The remainder will be
established through partners in provinces that have points of sale in Ambato,
Ibarra, Latacunga, Cuenca. Points will be identified as SZK Store.
“We are going to start with 11 points of sale,
of which 6 will be owned by SZK del Ecuador,” says Acosta.
The amount of 120 sources of employment will
generate the income of Suzuki to Ecuador autonomously.
What will happen to the aftermarket?
Customers who own Suzuki vehicles that were
previously purchased have a warranty and after-sales services.
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