Lotus sales network to cover tier-1, tier-2 market

Shanghai, March 6 (Gasgoo.com) Following its launch of the Lotus RCR (Jingsu) and Persona (Jingyue) models, Youngman Lotus, a joint venture between Youngman Auto and British Lotus Engineering, has started expanding its Lotus-brand sales network to cover China's first-tier and second-tier markets by setting up 100 4S stores nationwide by the end of this year, xinhuanet.com said today.

The joint venture's manufacturing bases in Guizhou, Shandong and Hangzhou all will be starting mass production this year, with a combined capacity of 450,000 vehicles. Its self-developed Lotus RCR (Jingsu) model rolled off line in December 2008 at the Guizhou plant, and another Lotus car Persona (Jingyue) was launched in Hangzhou city in January this year.

Youngman Auto, formerly a commercial vehicle OEM, is entering the passenger vehicle market by making its British partner's models at first. The company will design eight models jointly with Lotus Engineering over the next four years. The Lotus sedans, along with the company's Neoplan buses and Man trucks, have seen rapid sales growth.

To support its product lineup and market growth strategies, Youngman Lotus has decided to expand its sales network and improve its service system. The company will set up 100 4S stores across China by the end of 2009 to cover the country's tier-1 and tier-2 markets. This will boost the Lotus brand's competitiveness, sales and service.

While it imported the first RCR sedan in January 2008 for trial sale, Youngman Lotus started to build its manufacturing bases in Guizhou, Tai'an (of Shandong), Ji'nan and Hangzhou. Construction of the Ji'nan and Hangzhou bases is nearly completed to bring the joint venture's annual capacity to 450,000 units.