Fiat Chrysler Automobiles revs up Japan’s imported car market

In recent years, there has been a renewed hobby in Japan in foreign motors, which have become a greater low cost. One of the biggest overseas car importers is Fiat Chrysler Motors (FCA) Japan Ltd, which handles five Italian and U.S. brands (Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Jeep, and Abarth). Closing year, FCA sold about 17,000 units, and this yr’s goal is 20,000, says Pontus Häggström, CEO & President of FCA Japan Ltd. Häggström, who is from Sweden, has spent most of his running existence inside the vehicle industry, which includes 15 years in Japan. He’s positive about the Japanese marketplace and says the key to fulfillment for FCA is to make the five manufacturers more familiar to even extra customers in Japan.

I first came right here in 1989 on a six-month internship with Volvo. Now I’m on my 5th posting to Japan. I came lower back to Japan with Fiat eight years in the past. FCA Japan was set up in January 2015 as a merger among our Fiat and Chrysler income corporations and is now Japan’s most important non-German auto importer. Japan Today visits Häggström on the FCA workplaces in Tokyo’s Minato Ward to listen greater about the enterprise.

It’s been getting a touch bit larger over the last five-6 years. There has been a renewed interest in foreign cars. They are cheaper now, like our Fiat, for example. There has also been a concerted attempt by foreign players to adapt to nearby marketplace necessities, so you see all our Jeeps offered simplest with proper-hand pressure. I assume every one of our five brands has specific characteristics. They are a lifestyle desire and represent the ardor and exuberance for driving, which might be found in Italy and the U.S.

Sales for the first six months this year are up by about 15%. We sold 10,000 automobiles in the first 1/2 and hoped to reach 20,000 using the yr-give up. Last year, we sold about 17,000 motors. Our nice dealer is Fiat; income is up about 30% these 12 months. The Jeep is up approximately 20%. Abarth, our area of interest sports activities vehicle, is also up. There was a slight decline in Alfa Romeo, partly because we’ve not had a wide enough product range in the latest years to meet the many lovers in Japan. However, we are bringing the primary in a brand new family of Alfa Romeos to the marketplace for the next 12 months. There’s still a large passion and loyalty in Japan for Alfa Romeo; some large collectors may be observed in Japan, and classic vehicle races are laced with Alfas.

 

We have exclusive advertising strategies and income teams for specific target groups. We are one of the sponsors of the Fuji Rock Pageant with Jeep. That is an ideal event for Jeep. It’s constantly very cool to be there. These days, we are the main sponsor of the LGBT Film Festival in Tokyo with Alfa Romeo. Overall, we’ve shifted from print to virtual media for all the brands. Virtual structures supply us with the publicity we want as client behavior changes. We’re delighted with our social network presence. Our engagement ratio on Fb is the various maximum of any emblem in Japan. That means that humans are interested in speaking with us.

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In Japan, people are notably inquisitive. They’re searching out tales, facts, and heritage records approximately motors, so our sales team of workers have to be very informed. Clients call for lots. We’re celebrating seventy-five years with Jeep this yr, and we celebrated one zero-five year with Alfa, so we’ve got a long legacy and records. The tale approximately our Abarth sports activities vehicle is a good instance. The founder changed into born in November, so He’s a Scorpio, hence the Scorpion brand on the car. That intrigues Japanese Consumers who search for and appreciate authenticity.

With Fiat, 50% of customers are girls. That’s the highest proportion of female ownership of any automobile emblem in Japan. With Jeep, what stands out is that we have the youngest demographic amongst overseas brands, people in their mid-30s in common. Of these, 20% are ladies. The long-lasting Wrangler has a younger demographic of people in their 20s. The Renegade Black is doing nicely right now. However, it’s a confined version. Alfa Romeo shoppers are mainly middle-aged guys searching for style and overall performance.