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Mass production is a wonderful thing for consumers because it allows prices of products to be lower. In the auto industry, it was Henry Ford who exploited mass production to make cars by the thousands, enabling each unit to be cheaper. The more he made, the more savings were possible due to economies of scale. The approach to manufacturing was quickly followed by other carmakers and rapidly 'motorized’ the world.
There is, however, a drawback to mass production in that it also means thousands and thousands of units of a model all look exactly the same. Ford had already underlined this condition when he told customers that 'you can have your Model T in any colour you want as long as it’s black’. By limiting the choice of colours to just one, Ford saved a lot of money because he could order giant quantities of the paint and negotiate lower prices. But if you look at pictures of that era (the early part of the 20th century) when the Model T was dominant, the cars look similar with their black bodies and rather boring. Unlike today, when there are more colour choices and manufacturers also provide some variations in specifications.
Yet there are still customers who want more personalization because they want their car to stand out. They are willing to pay for this exclusivity but from the assembly point of view, it can be very expensive because of the small number involved. So an accessory after-market industry has existed to meet these demands and many carmakers also offer their own line of accessories.
Hicom-Chevrolet (HCSB), having studied the needs of the market here and listened to customer feedback, has seen that there is a market for original accessories for its most popular model, the Captiva. In Thailand and other markets, Chevrolet has already developed a number of accessories for customers and now HCSB is offering them in Malaysia.
It is possible to buy the items individually as and when finances permit; buying the whole package does not save you money since it is no cheaper than the sum of the prices of all the items. This is a good move on HCSB’s part as customers may not be able to afford the whole package or may not really like some of the items.
The Captiva accessories list includes another 12 items at this time, including three different roof rails that clamp onto the standard ones that run on either side of the roof. There’s also a bonnet protector and chrome tips for the exhaust pipes as well as smoke-coloured wind deflectors custom-designed for the side windows of the Captiva.
The accessories are available at all authorized Chevrolet dealers nationwide and if you order them at the time of buying a new Captiva, you can probably have the cost included in the H-P loan. So dress up your Captiva at the time of purchase since you can slowly pay off the cost of the accessories over many years. If you were to buy them later, you would have to pay in one lump sum.
Sanjeev Garg, HCSB’s CEO, said that the response to the accessories would be monitored and other items considered for inclusion in future. He added that the company is also looking at the possibility of offering accessories for owners of other Chevrolet models as well.
SPORTY PACKAGEFront Bumper Guard : RM1,555.00 Black Chrome bezel headlamps (L/R) : RM1,055.00 eachSide Step Kit (L/R) : RM1,365.00 eachChrome Wind Deflector : RM435.00 Clear Chrome Rear Lamp (L/R) : RM435.00 each
ELEGANT PACKAGE Molding package and Fog Lamp cover : RM655.00 Black Chrome bezel headlamps (L/R) : RM1,055.00 eachSide Step Kit (L/R) : RM1,365.00 eachChrome Wind Deflector : RM435.00 Clear Chrome Rear Lamp (L/R) : RM435.00 each Utility bars for roof rails (3 types) : RM480.00 - RM900 eachChrome door handle set : RM258.00 Chrome Garnish (Tail Lamp) : RM280.00 Larger Exhaust Tip (L/R) : RM988.00 eachLeather wrapped gear knob : RM238.00 Molded Bonnet Protector : RM600.00 Convenience net : RM83.00 Luggage shade : RM953.00 Wind Deflector set : RM375.00
To know more about Chevrolet models or to locate a dealer, visit the Chevrolution website
Read about the experiences of Captiva owners in the MTM Forum. You might even want to get one and join them!
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