With the China market opening up a lot more economic opportunities across the world, it is not surprising to see Chinese automotive brands enjoying success everywhere. In countries like Malaysia, automotive brands like Chana and Haval have been making inroads and have been very well received by the market.
Affordable and Efficient Cars
The main hurdle that Chinese car brands would need to overcome is the general perception of quality and durability. Over the years, Chana has been producing new models which meet international standards in manufacturing and automotive.
Background
Chana is a China automotive brand owned by Chang’an Automotive Group. The company is state-owned which is based in Chongqing in China. It must be noted that the Chang’an group is one of the oldest companies in the country which was founded back in 1862. Apart from the head office, Chang’an has a subsidiary in the UK which is its Research and Development centre.
It is one of the ‘Big 4’ Chinese automotive manufacturers where in terms of volume, Chang’an is the fourth largest automotive makers in China. According to the company, Li Hongzhang had set up the company in 1862 as the Shanghai Foreign Gun Bureau where it was only in 1950 that the Chang’an Factory rolled out the Yangtze River which was a jeep. It will continue to grow and by the end of the 80s, Chang’an was rolling out commercial vehicles.
Later on in 2009, Chang’an bought over Hafei and Changhe, 2 other smaller automotive companies in the country while it launched a new logo for its consumer vehicles in 2010 while its original emblem continued to be used by its commercial products.
Joint Marketing Efforts
In order to compete better in the automotive industry, Chang’an had entered into several joint-ventures with some of the top names. It has a long-standing partnership with Japanese giant Suzuki which dates back to 1993.
Meanwhile, Chang’an has been working with Ford from 2001 while developing the Ford Mazda engine from 2005. Through the Suzuki JV, Chang’an has been involved in assembling commercial trucks which would then grow to the passenger cars like Alto, Cultus and the very popular Swift. Besides that, Chang’an has been involved in making trucks and vans as well.
Through the Changan PSA partnership, Chang’an works with the French car manufacturer to build Citroen models since 2014.
It was recorded in 2011 that Chang’an sold more than 2 million vehicles which puts it in the fourth place among all other domestic brands in China. The company has since partnered several companies overseas to market and distribute its brand of vehicles like the Benni, CX20, CS35 and many others.
Changan Berjaya Auto Sdn Bhd is the authorized distributor for Chang’an vehicles in Malaysia which is part of the Berjaya Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the country.
Changan Berjaya Auto Sdn Bhd
Lot 3, Jalan 225, Section 51A,
46100 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel : 03-7954 1188
