Rising Sales Drive Luxury Car Brands to Expand Repair and Maintenance Facilities

Increasing sales volume of imported cars,  accounting for about 30% of the overall market in Taiwan in 2013, is creating growing demand for after-sales repair and maintenance, hence motivating many import brands to announce plans to further expand such services island-wide.

Mercedes-Benz Taiwan, Audi Taiwan and Volvo Taiwan, local subsidiaries, have in-turn announced expansion plans for repair and maintenance facilities, with total investment to exceed NT$10 billion (US$333.3 million).

In Taichung of central Taiwan, where Mercedes-Benz has seen the highest sales volume among other areas on the island, Mercedes' major regional distributor has kicked off constructing an 8-floor sales and service center to further expand services, reflecting the brand's leading sales in Taiwan for the past five years in a row.

Motor Image, the local agent of imported Subarus, said that it will add four sales and service points throughout Taiwan this year. Due to difficulties leasing suitable location in major cities, the agent may buy land to build such facilities.

In the past three years in Taiwan, sales of imported luxury cars have been increasing 10% yearly. As of March 10, sales of imported Mercedes-benzs totaled 3,625 units (up 32% from a year earlier), Lexus 2,271 (up 16.8%), BMWs 2,177 (down 1.4%), Volkswagens 1,627 (up 3.7%), Subarus 997 (up 154.3%), and Volvos 845 (up 17.2%), according to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC).