MOTOR

Euro Motors launches JAC trucks

Euro Motors (Pte) Ltd. announced the addition of 3 new models of JAC trucks to its existing fleet of vehicles at a launch held at Marine Grand, Marine Drive recently. The company reached yet another milestone by signing its agreement with Jianghuai Automobile Company Ltd. (JAC) a Chinese state owned automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Continued high demand for the industry’s most awarded medium duty truck line-up has resulted in this expanded product offering with the addition of its new N-Series Light Commercial Truck. Due to the growing demand for this category of vehicles world over, the company hopes to promote these up-graded trucks catering to the varying needs of the industry.

“Our plan for 2013 is to add dealer points in at least 05 priority markets and to continue to grow our dealer network in order to service our customer base and maintain our high level of customer service. In order to fulfill these needs, we have initiated the setting up of a highly innovative customized service center with advanced technical facilities. Additionally, we have set up dealer points strategically placed across the country in areas of high volume medium duty truck population. We also have the ability to service our growing customer base in the smaller markets as well”, said Ravindra Senarathne, Director, Operations for Euro Motors (Pte) Ltd.

As one of the fastest growing medium and heavy duty truck company, and with the addition of the new commercial diesel product line, the company’s branch network is armed with a product lineup that offers the lowest total cost of ownership, superior fuel economy, environmentally-friendly and unmatched reliability.

The new models launched were the N Series (HFC 1042) 14” narrow-face with improved interior design & highly developed technical features that provides a 100% automobile experience with Japanese technology and is ideal for transport of goods to locations with narrow road access. This is a golden opportunity for Sri Lankan companies maintaining a large fleet of vehicles and who seek the same automobile experience as that of Japanese-origin light trucks.

The 2nd model- the much sought after model (HFC 1023 MG) nicknamed the “Budget JAC” is the ideal option for small scale businesses and industrialists. The specialty of this vehicle is that it comes with a 4 cylinder engine, unlike most other vehicles in the same category in the Sri Lankan market.

The 3rd model – also a much sought after truck (HFC 1042 KR) Double-wheel Crew Cab is in demand by leading construction companies for transport of crew and materials.

JAC dealers are committed to achieving excellence in customer service and are the cornerstone of JAC’s award-recognized customer satisfaction. All JAC Trucks come with the guaranteed quality stemming from the company’s vast expertise of Research and Development units, resulting in JAC winning numerous awards for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) award. The study also measures overall satisfaction with both the product and services received from worldwide authorized truck dealers. Six factors comprise the service index of all JAC trucks: service initiation, service facility, service quality, service advice, service delivery and service price.

AMW Wins 2012 Nissan Global Award

Associated Motorways (Pvt) Ltd (AMW) was presented with the 2012 Nissan Global Award in recognition of its sales success and first class customer care.

The award was presented to AMW Sri Lanka by Carlos Ghosn - Global CEO of Nissan Motor Company who transformed Nissan into one to the world’s most profitable companies. Under Ghosn’s leadership Nissan has pushed aggressively into emerging markets such as Brazil, China, India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia.

The 2012 Nissan Global Award was presented to AMW as a mark of recognition for what Nissan calls the “Best of the Best” Nissan companies globally.

Samantha Rajapaksa, Managing Director of AMW commenting on this achievement said, “We are proud of this honour. We have enjoyed continued success over the last year and are going from strength to strength. As a company we focus on team effort. I would especially like to recognize our entire team at Nissan without whom this achievement would never have been possible.

The Nissan Global Award is designed to recognize the greatest contributor to Nissan “Sales Power,” one of the six pillars of the Nissan Mid Term Plan - Nissan Power 88. In an effort to win the 8% global market share by the year 2016, the award is aimed at achieving this goal by accelerating focus to improve the performance of the Nissan Network Operations.

AMW which has been the Nissan Agent in Sri Lanka for 40 years has consistently focused on service quality, after-sales service and customer satisfaction. AMW has contributed immensely to Nissan for its outstanding performance and will continue to focus on its key strengths.

In keeping with Nissans new tag line “Innovation that Excites” AMW plans to introduce a series of new models over the next few months starting with the new Sylphy.

South Korea central bank holds rates

South Korea’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight month, despite concerns over whether growth in Asia’s fourth-largest economy is back on track.

The Bank of Korea’s (BOK) decision to leave the inter-bank lending rate at 2.75 percent -- after two cuts in July and October last year -- was in line with most analysts’ expectations.

South Korea’s export-driven economy grew 2.0 percent in 2012 -- the slowest pace in three years -- compared with 3.6 percent growth in the previous year.

The deceleration was largely blamed on sagging demand due to the eurozone debt crisis and a slowdown in China.

The central bank recently slashed its forecast for economic growth for this year to 2.8 percent from 3.2 percent estimated last October. The economy has shown signs of picking up since the third quarter of last year, but analysts say slowing manufacturing activity in recent months suggests weak underlying conditions. With inflation running at just 1.4 percent -- well below the BOK’s target range of 2.5-3.5 percent -- the bank is expected to consider a rate cut by the end of the second quarter if the economy is still struggling.

AFP