Chery enters top five selling car brands in Laos

The Chery car brand has rapidly established itself in the top five brands selling in Laos, beating out all other major Chinese car manufacturers.

Chery Sales Office' Managing Director, Mr Tommy Lee, speaking to the Vientiane Times said since they opened their first showroom in Vientiane in August this year sales have grown rapidly with good acceptance of the Chinese brand in the Lao market.

Since they debuted with the Chery QQ3, the Chery A1 and the Chery Tiggo their market presence has grown, especially with the popular Chery QQ3 model.

'It's small enough to serve its intended purpose and versatile enough to take us straight to the top in sales because of its extremely affordable price, Mr Lee said.

The Chery A1 with its modern design and sleek features is also priced very competitively and is positioned to reach 35 percent of all sales in its respective price category.

Plans are also afoot to launch a new model after the 25th SEA Games. Called the M1 the new car is expected to be on the market at the beginning of 2010.

The M1 will come with a choice of two engine sizes, the more economical 1000cc engine or a more powerful 1300cc model. Both will be fully loaded with all of today's options found in major Japanese brands.

Chery expect the M1 will match its counterpart A1 with no less than 35 percent of the market share in its price class. The market focus will be on young drivers, both male and female. It has been designed with options to suit everyone's taste, including easy access and drivability in the city.

Mr Lee said his marketing strategy was simple - make sure to always take care of customers and this will inevitably take the company straight to the top of the industry.

'We strive to provide our customers with a quality product at a reasonable price that is both affordable and manageable,' he said.

Mr Lee stressed they always gave top consideration to their customers and their families.

They also wanted to provide world-class sales service and after-sales service, and the ever important spare-parts support. The company believes that honesty, transparency, respect and a commitment to good service is the key to success.

The Chery company must meet all these commitments because it is what the Lao people have come to expect, he said.

There are nine Chery branches in Vientiane and the provinces, to meet the needs of the expanding customer base. The company plans an additional 11 branches by the end of 2010, bringing the total to 20 branch dealerships.