Published June 2, 2009

Chevrolet owners here need not fret

Despite bankruptcy process, GM stays committed to S'pore

By VEN SREENIVASAN

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(SINGAPORE) Its parent in the United States may be going into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation (GM ODC) has reassured the owners of its cars here that it remains committed to Singapore.

The American carmaker has reappointed Alpine Motors as the dealer for its Chevrolet cars, beginning July 1, 2009.

Chevrolet pointed out that its marque had been increasingly successful in Singapore in recent years. And, despite the economic downturn, Chevrolet sales increased by 10.15 per cent during the January-March quarter of this year from the same period in 2008.

The Chevrolet car population in Singapore was close to 9,000 at the end of the first quarter. The auto marque also saw positive responses to recent promotions for the Aveo5.

Alpine Motors, part of the Alpine Group with more than 30 years of experience in the Singapore automotive trade, will work closely with GM ODC on a broad range of activities, from joint sales and marketing initiatives. Amongst its services, Alpine offers owners of its premium range - the Chevrolet Epica and Captiva - enhanced customer service through its Chevrolet Priority Service. Alpine Motors assured its customers that it would continue to provide training in sales, service, spare parts and business systems to assure customers of the best-in-class ownership experience.

Kittichai Jarusrojpoka, MD of GM ODC, said the partnership with Alpine was in line with his company's strategy to extend Chevrolet's presence in Singapore, which he insisted was an important market for the brand.

'We continue to see growth opportunities for Chevrolet here and will be working closely with Alpine Motors to offer exciting models such as the Chevy Cruze, our new global compact car, and the new generation mini car, Chevy Spark, in the near future,' he said.

Alpine Motors currently operates two Chevrolet showrooms - in Novena and Bukit Timah - and also runs an after-sales centre in Kaki Bukit. It expects to open a third showroom in the third quarter this year.

In 2008, Chevrolet sold more than four million vehicles worldwide and registered a year-on-year growth of 13.5 per cent in Asia-Pacific. Various models in the Asia-Pacific region include the Spark, Aveo, Optra Magnum, Epica and Captiva.