Capital Motors Inc (CMI, 中華賓士), Mercedes-Benz’s authorized dealer in Taiwan, yesterday announced its move into the domestic used car market in a bid to boost demand amid the economic slowdown.
The company introduced yesterday a fleet of Mercedes-Benz Star Select used cars that are under five years old with less than 100,000km on the odometer. Aside from providing a channel for owners of a new Mercedes-Benz to dispose of their used cars, it also makes the car more accessible to potential buyers.
“Instead of launching a car, today we launched a brand, which hopefully would make driving a Mercedes-Benz become more affordable,” Wolfram Geisler, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Taiwan Ltd (台灣賓士), said yesterday.
Mercedes-Benz is known for its superb quality and durability. Hence, there is always a demand for its used cars which are always on top of the used car market, Geisler said.
The firm said every Mercedes-Benz approved used car will enjoy a one-year warranty, with an accurate mileage and maintenance records being provided in order to clear consumers’ doubt.
CMI aims to sell 400 used cars over a 12-month period, CMI chief operating officer John Good said.
Taiwanese imports of new cars reached 28,304 units in the first eight months of this year, down 25.3 percent from a year earlier, statistics released by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications showed.
Hotai Motor Co (和泰汽車), which distributes Toyota and Lexus models, topped the list, with 5,449 units sold for a market share of 19.3 percent. Volkswagen ranked second with 3,427 units and a 12.1 percent share, followed by Mercedes-Benz with 3,339 units and an 11.8 percent market share, the data showed.
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