Preparation for Comeback to Indonesia, Subaru: We Don't Want to Repeat Mistakes

 One old name that is preparing to re-enter Indonesia is Subaru. This news has been around for some time. The Japanese brand is preparing to be back in business in Indonesia. 

Wearing the "Plaza Subaru" flag, this newest brand holder agent (APM) announced last year that it will be fully operational in 2022. However, until the second month there has been no sign of them officially announcing their presence. What is it?

Subaru

The question was finally answered directly by Arie Christopher as Chief Operating Officer of PT Plaza Auto Mega (Subaru Indonesia). He conveyed that currently Subaru is in the final stages of preparation to market some of its flagship products. The goal is to ensure that Subaru can provide maximum service to its consumers and fans.

Plaza Subaru is the fourth APM to officially hold this Japanese brand in Indonesia. The company that became APM previously made history less pleasant because it was involved in a legal case. Arie said that is what Subaru is trying not to repeat under the auspices of the Plaza group.

“Why do many people ask us, why did Subaru take so long to sell in Indonesia? What are you waiting for?, that's the term since we were appointed in February 2020 until February 2022. It's been two years why haven't we launched a car?” said Arie during a virtual press conference on Wednesday (9/2/2022).

“This is a form or a real activity or our real commitment that we want to fix the mistakes of the previous APM in the past. We want to be in line with Indonesian government regulations. So all of this is good from a legal point of view, both from the production plan side of the factory, the commitment from the Subaru Corporation in Japan, we are laying the foundations, we are tidying everything up," added Arie.

As the first step in returning to Indonesia, Plaza Subaru focuses on the availability of after sales services for existing consumers. Therefore, since last year, a 3S dealer (showroom, service, spare part) has been established, located in Alam Sutera, Tangerang. After guaranteeing services for consumers, then it will be followed by the launch of new models.

Arie even at the same time revealed a little about Subaru's plans in Indonesia, both for the short and medium term. Including the expansion of the authorized dealer network to a number of major cities in Indonesia for at least the next five years.

"Perhaps in the short term, we will definitely inform you that starting from the second quarter, we have started to market several new types of Subaru in Indonesia," continued Arie, who previously led Ferrari Indonesia.

"Then for the medium term plan, we certainly adjust it according to the sales volume that will increase. We will open our network both in Jakarta and outside Jakarta, such as Bandung, Surabaya, Batam, and other cities," continued Arie.

Regarding the product line and model that will be brought to the country, Arie does not want to clearly reveal it. However, from what was mentioned during the press conference, several Subaru models from the SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) class to sports cars will be imported. This means that there are opportunities for Impreza, Forester, BRZ, and even WRX to greet fans in Indonesia. (Why/Raju)