Korean auto major Hyundai Motor enters commercial vehicle market in Sri Lanka
View(s):Korean auto major Hyundai Motor company sees a considerable potential for trucks and luxury buses in Sri Lanka with the rapid development of infrastructure facilities including roads, said M.J. Kang, General Manager Hyundai, Asia and the Pacific in an interview with Business Times.
Korean Ambassador Tong Moon Choi gives a thumbs up seated inside a Hyundai truck. Pic by Ranjit Perera.
He noted that it has studied the vehicle market in the island and identified the opportunities for commercial transportation.
This has prompted them to introduce a brand new range of Hyundai trucks and luxury buses, through Hyundai Lanka Commercial Vehicles Ltd., a subsidiary of Hyundai Lanka Ltd, he revealed.
Mr. Kang noted that they expect to sell at least 100 Hyundai trucks per year in Sri Lanka with the rapid demand for vehicles for commercial transportation. The new range of Hyundai trucks and luxury buses to the country were launched at a glittering ceremony organized to open the company showroom in Battaramulla recently.
The Hyundai HD series light trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 6,500-7,800 kg will be available in many variations such as cab/chassis type, half body, full aluminium body, refrigerator truck, bottle carrier, crane truck, wrecker type, bowsers and aerial lift platform trucks for construction and commercial use.
The company will also enter the tourist bus market with the introduction of the Universe series luxury tour bus, with a 46 seating capacity.
A range of heavy commercial vehicles with a GVW of 43,000 kgs would be launched by the middle of the year, which will include several construction industry variants such as tipper trucks and concrete mixers as well as 17-seater passenger buses, Assistant General Manager Wiraj De Mel said.
The company is a subsidiary of the diversified Prestige Group which holds the distributorship for BMW luxury vehicles, Mini Cooper cars, Hyundai passenger cars, SUV’s and vans in the country and also counts a significant presence in the plant and machinery industry, being a leading supplier of machinery to the cement industry.
Prestige Automobiles Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director Hans Reuter disclosed that the company has become the leader in BMW and Hyundai vehicles, serving a customer base of over 8,000.
Mr. Reuters revealed that the company operates several fully-equipped workshops, including a repair centre with state-of-the-art tools and equipment.
It also possesses a fully-stocked spare parts inventory for both brands, 24-hour roadside assistance, and an efficient after sales service which would extend to the new commercial vehicle category as well, he said.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus