Re: Beijing Automotive news
Borgward will produce vehicles in Argentina again.
http://autoblog.com.ar/2017/09/12/borgward-quiere-volver-a-producir-en-la-argentina/
Borgward will produce vehicles in Argentina again.
http://autoblog.com.ar/2017/09/12/borgward-quiere-volver-a-producir-en-la-argentina/
Autoblog interviewed Tom Anliker, vice president of Marketing, sales and after-sales of Borgward Group AG, based in Stuttgart, Germany, in Frankfurt. In the following dialogue, Anliker anticipate the details of the Borgward to be sold in Argentina and confirms its intentions that the brand will have production again in our country.
-Yesterday Borgward confirmed that, after almost 60 years, will resell its products in Argentina. When will they be launched for sale and what will be the strategy for the first year? -we decided that Argentina is the first Latin American market to receive the products of Borgward in this new stage of the company, taking into account the strong historical burden that the name Borgward has in that country. We will surely continue with the Chilean market. The representative in Argentina will be the Stuttgart Motors company, which will be responsible for establishing a network of dealers, which will be small in a first stage. We didn't put up a sales target for the first year.
-What will be the Borgward models that will be sold in Argentina, what source will they have and how will they be positioned in the market? -We sell the models BX5 and BX7, which are two SUVs that we are already marketing in Europe. They are products designed and developed in Germany. Production is carried out in China, but with German quality standards. That's what allows Borgward products to have a premium quality, but with affordable price. Like Volkswagen.
-However, Volkswagen has local production in Argentina. Upon arrival from China, Borgward's products will be taxed at 35% of customs duties. In what ways do you plan to achieve affordable prices? -In a second stage Borgward will have production in Germany, but in both cases we know that to reach Argentina we must pay important customs duties. That is why we are analyzing produce in Argentina. In fact, Borgward was the only country in Latin America that had local production of Borgward in the previous stage of the company. The conditions to do it again are given and the tax benefits of doing so are also important.
-When could the production of Borgward in Argentina be concretized? -It is still early to set a date. First we have to reach the market, that the public knows our products and to reach a volume of sales that allows to move to the next stage, that would be the production.
-Which engines will have the BX5 and BX7 to be sold in Argentina? -The BX5 has a 2.0 turbo engine with 224 horsepower and a 1.4 turbo with 150 hp. It can be combined with six-speed manual gearbox or six-gear Aisin automatic transmission. The BX7 will be offered only with the 2.0 Turbo and automatic box.
-Would you be encouraged to anticipate the prices you will have in Argentina? -we decided that the announcement will be made by the Stuttgart Motors importer, when the models are launched for sale in the first part of 2018. -In Frankfurt are presenting the Isabella concept. The Borgward Isabella was the most famous model the brand had. Will it come to production? Surely. We still can't confirm it. But no doubt that the name Isabella is the most remembered by the public. In Germany, the names Borgward and Isabella are very sympathetically remembered by the public. And we know that in Argentina it is the same, we live it when we announced the relaunch of the brand last year, in the Autoclassic exhibition. C.C. (Carlos Cristófalo, AAB founder and journalist) interview.
