Locally-assembled Changan vehicles to roll out in April

• Master Motors CEO says the company has built a manufacturing plant in Karachi with a production capacity of 30,000 vehicles per annum

ISLAMABAD: Master Motor Ltd (MML) announced on Saturday that it would start the local production of three vehicles, Changan M-8, Changan M-9, and Changan Karvaan, this month.

Speaking to the audience during the second day of Pakistan Auto Parts Show (PAPS 2019) at the Karachi Expo Centre, Master Motors Chief Executive Officer Danial Malik said Master Motor has built a manufacturing plant in Karachi with a production capacity of 30,000 vehicles per annum. “This state of the art environmentally-friendly facility is designed to achieve phase-wise automation, with the last phase resulting in full automation by 2025.”

He said that the MMC manufacturing plant is certified with internationally recognized Automotive Quality Management System (QMS) standard. “It boasts our commitment to producing latest technology vehicles at international quality standards,” he added.

The MML chief said that all three models, which will be assembled in Pakistan, are already being sold in the country and the response has been quite encouraging as these were launched after intensive insight from the end consumer and endless hours of product selection and improvement.

“All our vehicles come with a standard warranty of three years or 60,000km whichever comes first, so our customers own Changan with the peace of mind that we are here for them,” Danial Malik maintained. “These vehicles, equipped with the latest in driving technologies, will be backed by a strong after sales network of 3S dealerships, focused on delivering unmatched customer service, using Changan’s best dealer practices and innovations such as a cloud-based dealer management system.”

He said that Changan M-8 is the best solution for those customers having smaller volumetric loading and for travelling in narrow city lanes, adding that Changan M-9 aims to solve the problems of the country’s corporate and SME businesses.

“There is no need to upgrade the axles or suspensions because we have already done that for you and there is no need for a deck extension either because the M-9 comes with the most used size of cargo deck,” he said.

The MML CEO said that Changan Karvaan van is a seven-seater 1,000cc van with dual AC which is ideal for long distance road trips.

Talking about the company’s future plans, Danial Malik said, “We are here to revolutionize the local auto industry. This is the reason why all of our Changan passenger vehicles are equipped with standard safety features like Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control and Driver & Passenger Airbags to make travelling safer for our customers.”

“We want to play our role as a leading automotive manufacturer by producing vehicles with state-of-the-art automotive technologies in Pakistan at an affordable price range for the young and growing middle class,” he stated.

It is pertinent to mention that Master Motor Ltd (MML) is a joint venture between Master Motor Corporation Ltd (MMCL) and Changan International Corporation (with 70/30 equity partnership). This is the first joint venture where a global brand would manufacture cars in Pakistan.

“This collaboration brings together Master Group’s goodwill, engineering expertise, and local market leadership, along with Changan’s technological edge and production standards, to provide Pakistani consumers with a choice of beautifully designed high-quality vehicles including sedans, SUVs, MPVs and LCVs, promising a driving experience beyond expectations,” he added.

He informed that Changan has been the best Chinese automobile brand for over a decade, maintaining an average growth of 16.4pc per annum. With over 60 years of automobile manufacturing experience, Changan has joint ventures in China to manufacture world-renowned brands like Ford, Mazda, Suzuki and PSA, Danial Malik added.

“Changan International has selected Pakistan as a strategic export base for right-hand drive markets. It means that the RHD vehicles produced in Pakistan will be sold to Changan’s distributors in South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and other RHD countries. This will be the first time in the history of Pakistan that locally manufactured vehicles will be exported out of the country,” the MML chief stated.

“We have already started selecting vendors and have also initiated the process of intensive localisation, which will help promote and uplift the local vendor industry and as a result, cost of manufacturing will be lowered to better compete in regional markets,” he concluded.