Chery's Malaysia sales to more than double this year

Chinese carmaker Chery Auto expects its vehicle sales in Malaysia to more than double to over 5,000 units, as the company's brand awareness is spreading among the Southeast Asian country's consumers, Search-Autoparts.com reported.

Last year, Chery Auto sold more than 2,000 cars in Malaysia, ranking the company 13th in the nation in terms of annual auto sales, up from 19th place in 2008, according to Tao Meng, CEO of Chery Alado Malaysia, Chery's local joint venture with Alado.

Chery has recently introduced its new Eastar 2.0L, a 7-seater MPV, to replace the Eastar 2.4L MPV model that was no longer produced. The new MPV model is equipped with Chery's proprietary and more powerful ACTECO2.0L engine that is low in fuel consumption.

The Chery Eastar 2.0L has a competitive pricing that starts at $23,500. The Eastar models are widely preferred among consumers in Malaysia, and Chery is also marketing the Tiggo SUV and A520 models in this market.

Currently, Chery Auto has more than 50 direct-sales outlets and franchised dealerships with a nationwide service network in Malaysia.