Matiz boosts Daewoo sales beyond estimates

Romanian carmaker Daewoo Automobile Craiova estimates to sell 29,000 vehicles on the Romanian market this year, which accounts for about 25% growth from last year. This is more than anticipated early in the year, when officials were expecting 10% growth, and is based on the new Euro 3 compliant engines and on possible changes in the look of the Matiz model.

“The sales of Daewoo vehicles in the first half exceeded 14,000 units, up about 45% from the first half last year,” says Valeriu Tones, Daewoo Automobile Romania PR manager.

Full-year sales in Romania will be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 29,000 units.

“We will launch the Euro 3 compliant engines for Matiz and Nubira models by the end of the year, while the Cielo model already has such engines available. There may be slight design changes as far as the Matiz model is concerned,” Tones adds.

He did not provide further comments on the possible Matiz facelift, specifying it would be based on market surveys.

“We must react and provide what the market wants so that we have conducted a series of market surveys. More on that when the time comes,” Tones explained.

This autumn will see the start of the Logan sales, the new model of the other major Romanian producer, Dacia, which analysts say will compete with Daewoo Cielo directly.

“Cielo sales were 28% higher in the first half compared with 2003, particularly because of the Euro 3 compliant engine and of the dual-fuel gas-LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) options,” Tones added.

The Craiova-based carmaker’s best-selling model is the mini class Matiz, which saw sales of 10,600 units in the first half of this year, that is 47% more than in the first half of last year.

“Moreover, we resumed export of the Daewoo Matiz model to Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia in the first half,” Tones said.

The company also exported more than 19,600 engines and 18,600 gears in the first half of 2004, which accounts for a 50% growth from the same time last year, Daewoo officials say.

ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro