Perodua expects Alza to have impact on Myvi sales

CARMAKER Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) expects sales of Myvi to decline by up to 18 per cent next year, as some of the potential customers for the three-year-old Myvi may opt for the recently-launched multi-purpose vehicle, Alza.

"We expect some cannibalisation between Myvi and Alza... that about 15-18 per cent of Myvi customers will go for Alza," said managing director Datuk Syed Abdull Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar in Shah Alam yesterday.

He was speaking to the media after the prize-giving ceremony of the "Myvi Moment" contest.

Despite the potential cannibalisation, sales of compact cars Myvi and ViVa remained strong, Hafiz said.
"The Myvi and ViVa have registered bookings close to 10,000 units and 7,700 units in November. We are very encouraged by the strong demand for the models," said Hafiz.

The Alza, which was launched last month, has received a total bookings of some 11,000 units, with a waiting period of two months.

Perodua is expected to sell some 4,000 units of Alza a month next year when it beefs up its production. It expects to sell 176,000 units of vehicles next year, which would be a record number.

It also expects to increase its market share to 33.3 per cent, with the help of new models like Alza and two facelift models next year.

"We expect 2010 to be the best year ever for Perodua, in terms of registration," Hafiz said.

For the first 11 months, it sold about 151,000 units. By the end of this year, it is on track to hit 164,000 units, a performance that will outperform the industry.

Local car sales are expected to decline substantially this year, due mainly to the global economy slowdown.

"The bad news in the end, is not that bad at all," he said.

Earlier, Syed Abdull Hafiz said the "Myvi Moment" contest was a success. A total of 11,252 Myvi units were purchased during the 44-day period. -BUSINESS TIMES