Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of the Berjaya Group), the new Mazda sole distributor in Malaysia, has fired up its corporate engines with the official introduction of its initial range of four models to the media. All of them are imported from Japan in completely built-up (CBU) form.

Next is the all-new second generation of the Mazda6, the model which set off the Zoom-Zoom philosophy at Mazda. Its predecessor won numerous awards around the world and so it was a big challenge for the project team to come up with yet another winner. But from overseas reports following the introduction in other countries (the new model was launched last year), the latest Mazda6 – bigger than before -  appears to be a very impressive executive sedan.

The long-awaited Mazda MX-5 is also among the models that will be in Bermaz showrooms. This is the roadster that became an icon from the time it was originally launched in 1989. It went on to become the best-selling roadster in the world, offering an exhilarating drive with superlative build quality… a great contrast to the British roadsters of the 1950s.

The new MX-5, which has a MZR 2.0-litre engine mated to a 6-speed Activematic  transmission (with paddle shifts), is priced at around RM220,000 (without insurance). Buyers have a choice of three colours – Blue, Red or Green. Standard equipment for this 2-seater includes leather upholstery, ABS and DSC.

Speaking at the media preview this afternoon, Dato’ Ben Yeoh, Executive Director & CEO of Bermaz Motor, said that the first batch of Mazdas have been sold out already and they are awaiting the next shipment which is on the way. He is optimistic that there will be good demand as the Mazda brand is already well known to Malaysians and has long been recognized as an innovative one with products that are exciting to drive.

Bermaz will honour the extended warranty and free service package that came with the BT-50

On the absence of the BT-50 pick-up from the line-up, Dato’ Yeoh said that all existing stock has been sold out and they are reviewing the marketing plan for the model. Nevertheless, he gave assurance that those who had bought the model would continue to get the special extended warranty and free service package which it came with and there will be full after-sales support for all those models which were sold by C&C Bintang, the previous distributor, or its authorized Mazda dealers.

“We will certainly provide the necessary after-sales support to all Mazda customers and we will try to also help those who bought ‘gray imports’ from other parties,” he said. He said that buying ‘gray imports’ was not recommended as the specifications may not be suitable for the Malaysian market conditions and result in technical issues that would inconvenience the owner.

“Every model we import has specifications which are suitable for this country’s fuel quality and other conditions. Mazda is very stringent about such matters and would not give us a model which was not properly tuned for our fuel quality,” he explained.

Looking further ahead, Dato’ Yeoh said that there are no plans for local assembly although it cannot be ruled out. He said it depends on the volume and whether it makes business sense to Bermaz and also to Mazda. In the meantime, he wants to review the network and rationalize it to enhance the experience for customers. Bermaz had earlier acquired the Mazda network of C&C Bintang so customers can still find the facilities in the same places.

“You can say that we are embarking on the ‘next evolution of Zoom-Zoom’ and we aim to excite Malaysian motorists with our products,” he promised.

Yuji Nakamine, GM of Mazda’s Overseas Sales Division, gave assurance that Mazda will fully support Bermaz in its endeavour and also promised that ‘if there are the orders, I will make sure that there are the cars allocated to Malaysia’. The promise was in response to an observation that in recent years, there was insufficient supply of cars for Malaysia, causing disappointment to many customers.

“Malaysia is our core market in ASEAN and presents  big opportunity for us to strengthen our brand in the region. We will be able to work more closely than ever before with our Malaysian partner as we now have a regional office in Bangkok which is executing our business strategy for the region,” said Mr. Nakamine.

Talk about Mazda models in the MTM Forum

For more information on Mazda models in Malaysia and after-sales services, contact Bermaz at 03-79678888 or visitwww.mazda.com.my .

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