Malaysian Sime Darby Bhd’s unit Sime Darby Auto Italia Sdn Bhd has launched its first 3S (sales, service and spares) centre and unveiled six new models of Alfa Romeo towards helping the Italian marque make a comeback into the local scene.

Auto Italia managing director Radzi Zainol said the company was targeting to sell 300 units of the range of cars this year in Malaysia, and 800 units next year. It plans to launch “one or two more Alfa Romeo models” next year. He said Auto Italia had the "unenviable" task of winning back the market’s confidence in the Alfa Romeo brand, after a period of uncertainty that lasted nearly 18 months following the ceasing of operations by Milan Auto Sdn Bhd, the previous franchise holder.

The new models - the Alfa 147, 156, 156GTA, 156 Sportswagon, 166 and Alfa GT Coupe - are sold at between RM185,000 and RM351,000. They are officially imported into Malaysia by Scuderia Sdn Bhd.

Speaking to reporters after the official opening of Auto Italia’s main branch and service centre in Shah Alam on Aug 2, Radzi said the company was planning to bring in the Alfa Romeo 159 sedan model by the end of next year. Later in the evening, Auto Italia unveiled the six new models. Sime Darby secured the exclusive franchise rights for the Alfa Romeo marque last year after Fiat terminated its agreement with Milan Auto. Radzi said Auto Italia was investing some RM4.5 million in the current financial year ending June 30, 2006 in setting up its sales and service infrastructure and the introduction of the latest models.
 

The first phase of its plans includes the setting up of a second 3S centre, to be located in Penang, and a showroom in Bangsar. In FY07, it plans to double its investments to RM9 million for such centres in Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Petaling Jaya and Seremban. The RM2.5 million 3S centre on a 0.4ha site in Shah Alam, which is also Auto Italia’s headquarters, is equipped with the latest diagnostic tools and state-of-the-art equipment from Italy and special pits for collecting used coolant and fluids. It also has a three-bay interactive service station for mandatory joint inspection by both service advisers and customers when they send their cars in for servicing.

Meanwhile, Fiat Auto Spa sales director for Alfa Romeo Sales Europe and Extra Europe, Hans Hoegstedt, said the Italian carmaker “is not excluding the possibilities of having a local assembly line in Malaysia. It will only be economically feasible for a local assembly line if we can sell 1,500 units yearly here,” Hoegstedt said.

by Doreen Leong

This feature appears courtesy off Malaysian inancial and investment daily news website website The Edge Daily