1,000 Days of Wuling, Its Journey in Indonesia Auto Industry
22 April, 2020
A decade ago, Wuling Motors may still be unheard of to the ears of Indonesian. Despite being seen as a newcomer, however, Wuling has now started to be known in the country’s auto industry.
SGMW Motor Indonesia Inc. (Wuling Motors) is a subsidiary of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Inc. (SGMW), a company that has sold more than 2.15 million vehicles in 2017 and has been ranked as No. 1 in terms of sales volume for a single automotive company for 12 years in China.
The Journey of Wuling Motors in Indonesia
In 2015, Wuling Motors began entering the country’s market with full commitment. In the first year, Wuling Motors conducted a groundbreaking ceremony to build an integrated plant of 60 hectares in Cikarang region with production capacity up to 120 thousand vehicles units per annum, creating up to 3,000 jobs.
A year after, Wuling began to take part in an annual automotive event, the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. At that time, Wuling showed off the flagship Hongguang MPV.
In 2017, Wuling started inaugurating its factory in Cikarang. The inauguration was witnessed firsthand by Jusuf Kalla, who was then serving as a Vice President, along with Former Minister of Industry, Airlangga Hartanto.
Shortly after, Wuling introduced its first car for Indonesian consumers, namely Wuling Confero. The name Confero has chosen to adapt to the culture of Indonesian, which means “togetherness”.
“This name was inspired by our understanding of the cultural values of Indonesian people who always put their family first,” said Cindy Cai, the Vice President of Vehicle, Sales, Service, and Marketing at Wuling Motors.
The birth of the Confero series
Wuling also offers the Confero S. The abbreviation “S” refers to “Sport”, which implies that not only does Wuling offer functional and comfortable cars for Indonesian families, but it also offers a sporty style.
The Confero S has claimed to be suitable to accompany family trips in Indonesia. The shape, engine, size, features, and comfort have adjusted to the needs of the Indonesian family. Not to mention the price, which is arguably affordable for most pockets of Indonesian.
The price is also below the average of Low MPVs offered in the country. Do not take it wrongly, though, that despite the affordable price, the safety and security features equipped in the Confero S are even more guaranteed compared to other Low MPVs in its class. No wonder that Confero S has won the Small MPV category at the Indonesia Car of the Year 2017 event, the Best Value for Money at the Indonesia Car of the Year 2018 of mobilmotor magazine’s version, and OTOMOTIF Award 2018’s for Rookie of The Year.
In the same year, Wuling fully committed to expanding its business into 50 Wuling dealers throughout Indonesia. All of these dealerships have been providing service for Wuling cars. Also, in 2018, Wuling successfully came as one of the 10 best-selling car brands in Indonesia in terms of sales.
The birth of Cortez and Almaz
In 2018, Wuling launched its new model in the medium MPV class. Early in the year, precisely in February 2018, Wuling started by introducing its MPV Cortez series which has won the Best Medium MPV award at ICOTY 2018 by mobilmotor Magazine, along with the Best Total Cost Ownership Medium MPV at Gridoto Award 2019. Cortez CT also won the title of the Best of Medium MPV Gasoline by OTOMOTIF Award 2019 and the Best Medium MPV by Gridoto Award 2019.
Wuling is not only targeting the family car segment. Commercial cars in the light of commercial vehicle class to support business activities were prepared, until the launch of Formo cars in November 2018.
Afterward, in 2019, Wuling launched its fourth product variant with its first SUV for the Indonesia market, which is the smart technology SUV Almaz. This latest variant has been a new hit for SUV fans, thanks to the advanced multimedia features, design, and spacious cabin. Those attentions have rewarded by awards winnings, such as the 2019 Innovation Appreciation in Technology category by Sindo Newspaper and Sindonews.com, the 2019 Carvaganza Editors’ Choice Award, the FORWOT Car of the Year 2019, and also the title of Car of the Year and The Best Medium SUV by Gridoto Award 2019 version.
At the beginning of 2020, Wuling continued to provide its best for Indonesian consumers by providing after-sales services. The company opened up 115 dealer networks all over the country, as well as online services on My Wuling+ application, all to ensure the satisfaction of its customers.
