DRB-HICOM rancang keluar kenderaan sendiri

Oleh AMRAN AHMAD

SHAH ALAM 28 Ogos - Kumpulan DRB-HICOM Berhad (DRB- HICOM) sedang menjalani proses transformasi perniagaan dan bakal mengeluarkan kenderaan penumpang berjenama sendiri selewat-lewatnya pada tahun 2012.

Pengarah Urusannya, Datuk Mohd. Khamil Jamil berkata, peranan DRB-HICOM akan berubah bukan sahaja mengedarkan kenderaan buatan luar negara tetapi mengeluar serta memasarkan kenderaan jenama sendiri.

“Justeru, usaha sama antara DRB-HICOM dengan General Motor Asia Pacific Holdings LLC (GMAPH) (GM) yang termeterai hari ini menjadi pemangkin kepada pengeluaran kenderaan berjenama sendiri untuk pasaran tempatan dan global,” jelasnya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas majlis memeterai perjanjian usaha sama antara DRB-HICOM dan GMAPH yang melibatkan pembentukan syarikat usaha sama, HICOM-Chevrolet Sdn. Bhd. (HICOM-Chevrolet) dengan GMAPH menguasai 51 kepentingan, manakala selebihnya oleh DRB.

Pada majlis yang sama, DRB-HICOM melancarkan modal terbaru kenderaan penumpang berjenama Chevrolet, Aveo Sedan 1.4 SE dan 1.4 SX yang dikeluarkan berasaskan model daripada GM Daewoo Auto & Technology dan ditawarkan pada harga RM71,891.20 bagi 1.4 SE dan RM74,969.20 untuk 1.4 SX.

Hadir sama pada majlis itu ialah Pengerusi DRB-HICOM, Tan Sri Syed Anwar Jamalullail, Presiden GM bagi operasi Asia Tenggara serta GM Thailand dan Jualan Chevrolet Thailand, Steve Carlisle.

Mohd. Khamil berkata, syarikat usaha sama tersebut, HICOM-Chevrolet dijangka memulakan proses pengeluaran unit komponen terurai (CKD) kenderaan Chevrolet itu antara 18 bulan hingga 24 bulan akan datang.

Jelasnya, HICOM-Chevrolet akan menggunakan kilang pemasaran kenderaan milik DRB-HICOM di Pekan, Pahang untuk melaksanakan hasrat itu, selain membelanjakan sekitar RM50 juta sebagai perbelanjaan modal bagi aktiviti perniagaan syarikat usaha sama tersebut.

Pada dasarnya, GMAPH telah bersetuju untuk menjadikan kilang pemasaran kenderaan milik DRB-HICOM di Pahang itu sebagai pusat pengeluaran kenderaan berjenama Chevrolet untuk pasaran serantau, tambahnya.

Kerjasama

Carlisle pula berkata, sudah tiba masanya bagi General Motor (GM) untuk meningkatkan tahap kerjasama dengan DRB-HICOM berdasarkan banyak kejayaan yang dicapai hasil hubungan antara kedua-dua syarikat berkenaan yang terjalin sejak tahun 2002.

“Sebagai pasaran terbesar bagi kenderaan penumpang di rantau Asia Tenggara, GM mahu bertapak di Malaysia dalam skala yang besar menerusi usaha sama dengan salah sebuah syarikat ternama tempatan seperti DRB-HICOM,” jelas Carlisle.

Mohd. Khamil juga menjelaskan bahawa usaha sama antara Kumpulan DRB-HICOM dan GMAPH menerusi HICOM-Chevrolet tidak mempunyai sebarang kaitan dalam bidaan firma konglomerat tempatan itu dalam Proton Holdings Bhd. (Proton).

Menurutnya, kerjasama antara DRB-HICOM dan General Motors (GM) telah terjalin sejak tahun 2002 dan kedua-dua syarikat tidak pernah mengadakan sebarang perbincangan mengenai pakatan untuk membid kepentingan dalam Proton.

Selain GM dan DRB-HICOM, tiga firma lain yang turut membida pembelian kepentingan Khazanah Nasional Bhd. (Khazanah) sebagai pemegang kepentingan terbesar Proton ialah Volkswagen AG (VW) dari Jerman, Kumpulan Naza dan Kumpulan Mofaz.

Proton pada masa ini, sedang giat mengadakan rundingan dengan pengeluar kereta Jerman, Volkswagen AG untuk menjadi rakan strategik jangka panjangnya.

DRB-HICOM Keeping Options Open On Tata




SHAH ALAM, April 11 (Bernama) -- DRB-HICOM Bhd is looking into various options for its franchise deal with India's Tata Motors Ltd.

"We are looking into the possibility of whether we want to expand, remain as it is or look into greener pastures," group managing director, Datuk Mohd Khamil Jamil told reporters when asked on the latest development with its franchise deal with Tata -- due for expiry June this year.

"It is something that is under evaluation by Scott and English to look into the commercial automotive market which they are holding," he added.

DRB-HICOM currently assembles, distributes and sells Tata's commercial vehicles in Malaysia through its subsidiary Scott and English (M) Sdn Bhd.

A news report quoting sources Friday had said that "DRB-HICOM may not renew Tata franchise".

Mohd Khamil was speaking to reporters following the signing of a partnership agreement here Friday between HICOM Holdings Bhd and Midea Refrigeration Limited.

On the outlook for the group, Mohd Khamil said DRB-HICOM hoped its business will be much better this year given the positive performance of the car industry.

The car industry has stayed stable the past one year, he said, adding that Proton cars had also done very well under the new models, Persona and Proton Saga.

He also said the group had for the first time recorded the highest sales for Suzuki models since it took over the distributorship, with 450 units sold in January this year.

Asked whether DRB-HICOM was still interested in taking up a stake in Proton, he said, "We can work with Proton in many ways, we don't have to take up stake in the company.

"We already have a collaboration with Proton through our 80 percent subsidiary, Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd, which is selling about 30 percent of the Proton cars in the market."


- Bernama -

DRB-HICOM secures RM541m military vehicles deal




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KUALA LUMPUR: DRB-HICOM Bhd’s (stock) unit will supply military land-based vehicles for the Malaysian government under an RM541.3mil deal.

It said on Monday its unit DRB-HICOM Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech) had signed an agreement to supply 48 armoured carrier vehicles, eight 120-mm mortar carriers and 87 cargo carriers to the army.

It also said its unit Defence Services Sdn Bhd had also entered into an agreement with the government to refurbish 21 Scorpion and 13 Stormer land-based vehicles.

Deftech had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to support the defence force’s modernisation programme.

The MoU would involve supplying, delivering and commissioning of vehicles and equipment; technical skill development; research & development and joint trials and evaluation collaboration; and maintenance, repair and overhaul programmes.


- The Star -

Hicom G-Wagon

DRB-Hicom To Introduce Hybrid Car By 2012


SHAH ALAM, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysian automotive conglomerate, DRB-HICOM Bhd, aims to introduce its own hybrid car by 2012 in line with the government's objective to promote hybrid and electric vehicles and development of related infrastructure.

Group director of automotive, Datuk Nik Hamdam Nik Hassan, said the company was currently in talks with three potential partners to manufacture the car and hoped to finalise the deal next year.

"Besides the assemble, we want to have our own hybrid car that we can call it HICOM hybrid. It will take 18 to 24 months to have this car to come on stream," he told a media briefing on the company's automotive business update here on Wednesday.

Nik Hamdam, who declined to name the parties, however, said one of them was DRB-HICOM's existing partner.

He said the group's 70 per cent-owned subsidiary, Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd (Modenas), has collaborated with both Petronas Research and Universiti Sains Malaysia to manufacture its electric motorcyle.

It is targeted for commercialisation by 2011, he said.

Nik Hamdam said demand for hybrid car was increasing although the price was a little bit expensive compared to conventional car as the people's interests were now towards eco-friendly vehicle.

DRB-HICOM is a distributor and assembler of prime foreign marques such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Mahindra as well as local vehicle such as Proton, HICOM Perkasa and Modenas.

He said the company targeted to increase its market share to 22 per cent in 2010 from 19 per cent now with the focus on enhancing performance, especially in the after-sales and service activities.

Nik Hamdam said the country's total industry volume of vehicles was forecast to reach 540,000 units in 2010 from 525,000 units estimated in 2009.

The company planned to launch at least 10 new models and upgrades of its various marques and this expected to spur its automotive business next year, he said.

"Among them would be the Audi A5 and Audi R8, including two new models from Suzuki," he said.

He said DRB-HICOM would pump in RM10 million for advertising and promotion activities by next year to strengthen the Audi brand presence.

On the discontinuance of existing joint venture between DRB-HICOM and GM, Nik Hamdam said: "We are having difficulty to agree on certain point of their business model. Both of us have different objectives."

Nik Hamdam said although the parties had now agreed to amicably part ways effective Jan 1, DRB-HICOM would continue to supply the spare parts of Chevrolet vehicles until the appointment of a new distributor by GM.

"The termination will not have a significant impact on DRB-HICOM's performance as sales contribution from Chevrolet was small at about 1,000-1,300 units per annum compared with its total volume of close to 100,000 vehicles annually," he said.

He said DRB-HICOM was looking to bid for stake in Proton once the opportunity arose.

"This is something that we always look out for because we are much involved in Proton business," he said.

-- BERNAMA