The FINANCIAL — In January 2008 Iberia Business Group added another new brand to the Georgian auto market. KIA Motors is now officially represented on the Georgian market.
According to Lasha Chochua, General Director of KIA Motors Georgia, the new brand will soon be occupying a place on the market with its high quality.
“Although KIA Motors was not represented on the Georgian market, the brand already had loyal customers in Tbilisi. The popularity of KIA automobiles will be increased by the good service skills which will be offered by the KIA Motors service centre. Today KIA Piccanto is the cheapest model on offer and costs USD 9 thousand. While the KIA Sportage and Torento cost USD 25 and 28 thousand respectively,” Chochua added.
According to Mikheil Alkhanishvili, Founder of Iberia Business Group, KIA as a brand has not been represented on the market for the last 7-8 years.
“Today Iberia Business Group already officially represents KIA Motors in Georgia. The first attempt at opening an auto house in Tbilisi was made ten years ago, but after three years the company closed down. The head office gave Iberia Business Group exclusive rights to import automobiles under the most convenient conditions,” Mikheil Alkhanishvili declared to The FINANCIAL.
Iberia Business Group has been operating on the Georgian market from 1999. Today it is one of the strongest companies and each year the company is expanding its business. Iberia Business Group is already an official representative of ExxonMobil, Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Peugeot, Renault and Mitsubishi. KIA Motors is an additional brand from the company.
“Today KIA Motors is a very refined brand with high technologies and can be a competitor of any and every world famous brand, even for instance Mercedes-Benz. KIA Motors will offer excellent services to customers. The company is cooperating with all leading banks in Georgia and have a wonderful system of auto instalment and leasing. All automobiles sold in the KIA Motors centre will have a three year repair guaranty. Supposedly by the end of the year KIA Motors will be able to occupy 4% of the market,” Alkhanishvili said.
“Mercedes-Benz Georgia is pleased with KIA Motors coming to the Georgian market. KIA Motors is not really a competitor of Mercedes-Benz Georgia. Still, healthy competition is very important,” Lasha Lomidze, Sales Manager of Mercedes-Benz Georgia.
“Mercedes-Benz Georgia imported 105 automobiles in Georgia over 2007. The most popular models being ML- Class and GL- Class automobiles. 50% of realization coincides with those Mercedes-Benz models. Importing of new models is happening constantly. Today Mercedes-Benz Georgia occupies 3-4% of the new automobile market,” Lomidze added.
“KIA Motors’ rivals are: Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Sang Yong, and Nissa,” Otar Chiteishvili, Head of Sales and Marketing Department of Ltd. Autohaus, Opel Official Dealer in Georgia, declared to The FINANCIAL. “Opel is in another price range as Opel automobiles are a bit more expensive.”
According to Chiteishvili the most popular and best selling model in 2007 was the Opel Astra.
“During 2007 the Opel Official Dealer in Georgia sold 80 Opel Astra at the price of EUR 14 200. By the beginning of 2008, the company had already added new models: Opel Agila and Opel Zafira. Supposedly these models are to show good sales indexes in 2008. Today Opel occupies 4% of the new cars’ market,”
According to Tina Revazishvili, Toyota, the best selling models of Toyota in 2007 were the Toyota Corolla, Toyota RAV4, Land Cruiser Prado, and Land Cruiser 100.
“400 Toyota Corolla were sold in Georgia. Their prices range from USD 15 900 to USD 19 900.
200 Toyota RAV4 were sold, costing from USD 27 900 – USD 33 600. 300 Land Cruiser Prado were sold during 2007, their prices range from USD 31 200 – USD 48 900. The Land Cruiser 100 costs between USD 64 800 and USD 63 800, but today their price has risen and is between USD 64 800 and USD 63 800. The amount of Land Cruiser 100s sold was 300,” Revazishvili added. Now the company is having a discount period. It began February 1 and will continue till March 15, 2008, so all above-mentioned prices are currently reduced,” Revazishvili added.
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