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First Chinese auto imports set to make European debut
Dutch rally driver and car dealer Peter Bijvelds expects to sell about 2,000 of the first Chinese cars in Europe this year at almost half the price of their nearest competitor, he said yesterday.
Mr. Bijvelds has a five-year exclusive deal with China's Jiangling Landwind Motor to sell its sport utility vehicle in 27 European countries at a time Europe's car makers are suffering from weak demand amid consumer belt-tightening.
Under the terms of the contract with the unit of China's Jiangling Motors Group, Mr. Bijvelds must sell 1,000 cars this year. He says he can do better and will market the Landwind SUV primarily on its cut-rate price.
"We can do at least double. There is a huge demand for it," the 26-year-old said. "The car is not expensive. The next competitor is at least 40-per-cent more expensive."
Mr. Bijvelds, who began negotiations with Jiangling about a year and a half ago, says the car's price will vary from country to country but that he aims to keep the final retail price to about €15,000 ($24,000) apiece.
He declined to say how much he was paying Jiangling for the vehicles but said his costs were very low.
"The economy in Europe is not doing that well and people aren't spending as much as they did a few years ago," he said.
Mr. Bijvelds, whose dealership is based in the village of Erp, in the Netherlands, has made minor alterations to the SUV in order to meet Europe's strict emissions standards.
He said he has already sold about 300 Landwind SUVs in the Netherlands and is in talks to set up a distribution network in Belgium before expanding across the continent.
But demand for the Chinese car could come from outside Europe too.
"We've had interest from . . . Dubai, Africa and even from Mongolia," he said. "We're just going to conquer Europe and then we will go further."
Dutch rally driver and car dealer Peter Bijvelds expects to sell about 2,000 of the first Chinese cars in Europe this year at almost half the price of their nearest competitor, he said yesterday.
Mr. Bijvelds has a five-year exclusive deal with China's Jiangling Landwind Motor to sell its sport utility vehicle in 27 European countries at a time Europe's car makers are suffering from weak demand amid consumer belt-tightening.
Under the terms of the contract with the unit of China's Jiangling Motors Group, Mr. Bijvelds must sell 1,000 cars this year. He says he can do better and will market the Landwind SUV primarily on its cut-rate price.
"We can do at least double. There is a huge demand for it," the 26-year-old said. "The car is not expensive. The next competitor is at least 40-per-cent more expensive."
Mr. Bijvelds, who began negotiations with Jiangling about a year and a half ago, says the car's price will vary from country to country but that he aims to keep the final retail price to about €15,000 ($24,000) apiece.
He declined to say how much he was paying Jiangling for the vehicles but said his costs were very low.
"The economy in Europe is not doing that well and people aren't spending as much as they did a few years ago," he said.
Mr. Bijvelds, whose dealership is based in the village of Erp, in the Netherlands, has made minor alterations to the SUV in order to meet Europe's strict emissions standards.
He said he has already sold about 300 Landwind SUVs in the Netherlands and is in talks to set up a distribution network in Belgium before expanding across the continent.
But demand for the Chinese car could come from outside Europe too.
"We've had interest from . . . Dubai, Africa and even from Mongolia," he said. "We're just going to conquer Europe and then we will go further."
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