Chevrolet vehicles will soon command a higher re-sales value to thanks to the soon-to-be introduced “Chevrolet Certified Used Car” initiative. GM SEA President Martin Apfel told Malaysian journalists at the sidelines of the recent Bangkok International Motor Show that the program is expected to elevate the used car value of the Chevrolet cars in the country, having used Thailand as a test bed. “We’ve actually used Thailand as the test-bed for something that’s called “Chevy Certified Used Car” and we now have more than 30 outlets that operate that distinct line of business.
“What the program does is that it allows dealers to take in used cars, any brands but largely Chevrolet, and then to sell on the car after it has gone through our battery of checks. This in turn has helped to lift the resale value of the vehicles because it gives people the confidence that there will be a buyer for their car when they want to sell it and the dealer is interested in taking it in, because for him it’s good business and we’ve got the data for that. We’re even looking at expanding the business to 60 outlets by the end of the year.”
For Malaysia, Apfel said that GM SEA is working hard to identify the appropriate outlets to act as the pilot for the program there. “There will be around 10 outlets in Malaysia by the end of this year. We know it works but we need to pace it as it’s a special facility and therefore requires a bit of work, as we need to train the staff. You don’t want to be the used-car salesman from around the corner as there is a specific service and a specific guarantee we give on the car that is sold out of the ‘Chevy Certified Used Car’ program. That, in turn, will give customers more confidence in the resale value.”
GM SEA also expects to test a number of other initiatives for Chevrolet customers in Malaysia in an effort to keep ownership costs predictable and low. One of these will concentrate on maintenance where assistance will be extended to NAZA Quest, the sole and exclusive distributor for Chevrolet in Malaysia, to help keep parts prices affordable. “We have done extensive work in all the countries in ASEAN and also the competitive research to make sure we are competitively priced with the competition. The goal is to be on par with the market leader because for genuine quality parts, you have to be competitive with the best in the market.
“We have a very competitive cost of ownership in Malaysia and though we haven’t done price benchmarking yet, based on a four-month observation, many fast moving items are competitively priced, which goes against the consumer perception that Chevrolet’s are expensive,” he said.
In closing Mr. Apfel said, “People in ASEAN, have a budget in mind when they start shopping and purchasing, so you’ve got to fit in there. If you’re unpredictable, in the marketing funnel between awareness and consideration, you’re going to go very thin when it comes to purchase intention”.
