Sime Darby relinquishes Alfa Romeo franchise

alfa-romeo-giulietta-launch

Sime Darby has announced that its subsidiary Sime Darby Auto Italia (SDAI) is voluntarily relinquishing the Alfa Romeo distribution rights in Malaysia, according to a company report by AmResearch.

The report says SDAI will continue to provide after-sales service and honour its warranty commitments at its sole outlet at Jalan Ipoh, KL, until a new distributor is appointed by Alfa Romeo. SDAI has held Alfa distribution rights in Malaysia since 2005.

No reasons were given for the termination, but AmResearch reports that the Italian brand registered 38 imported CBU vehicles in Malaysia last year, and only 18 units through August this year, according to Malaysian Automotive Association data. In comparison, Sime Darby’s Motors division sold over 89,000 vehicles (representing a 10% year-on-year increase) for FY13.

Sime Darby Motors represents 30 automotive brands in 10 Asia Pacific markets in distribution, retail and assembly operations. China and Malaysia are its top two markets, which when combined, account for more than half of the sales volume. The Motors division is also the third-biggest profit contributor for FY13.

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Jonathan James Tan

While most dream of the future, Jonathan Tan dreams of the past, although he's never been there. Fantasises much too often about cruising down Treacher Road (Jalan Sultan Ismail) in a Triumph Stag that actually works, and hopes this stint here will snap him back to present reality.

 

Comments

  • I hope someone responsible like naza takes over the Alfa brand. The next few years will be pretty exciting for the brand, with the alfetta and Alfa SUV coming up as well as the 4c. Sure the jokes continue, but if they have enough trained technicians and service center as well as dealers, then Alfa could be a pretty strong brand in the future

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 45 Thumb down 7
    • only know how to talk..when it comes to buying an alfa romeo..u will be the first to run away

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 30 Thumb down 13
    • MycarMylife on Dec 13, 2013 at 6:41 am

      At last SDAI go die and Fxxx Off

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
    • boleh cuba mana tau on Dec 13, 2013 at 4:02 pm

      How to apply to take over the franchise?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 5
    • bye bye bye... on Dec 13, 2013 at 1:31 am

      hahaha…
      bye bye alfa..
      good riddance..

      u all make noise here say no la bla2..
      but u all also no money to buy this piece of junk…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 11
  • farizY on Dec 12, 2013 at 11:52 am

    Mainstream Italian cars are dead in Malaysia. Very sad indeed.
    I’ve always believed that Alfa 159 is the best looking luxury c-segment. Fresh even today.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 49 Thumb down 3
  • Janji Dicapati on Dec 12, 2013 at 11:53 am

    Thanks to AP, Sime Darby now added another brand into their portfolio after own Hyundai, BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Porsche & Mclaren franchise in Malaysia.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 102
    • Dear Mr Capati,

      Please google the word relinquish before commenting.

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 104 Thumb down 2
    • peoopt on Dec 12, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      Bro, open the dictionary and check out what “relinquish” means.

      Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 63 Thumb down 1
    • AutoFrenz on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:11 pm

      OMG OMG…you dont even know the meaning and yet you want to comment…What A Joke!!! Red army with little grasp of English…shame..shame on you…go back to school!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 2
    • vee-oh on Dec 12, 2013 at 3:14 pm

      hahaha you are so funny la mr. capati

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 1
    • itu la. suroh blajar english tak mau. sekurang-kurang bukak google perkataan tu maksud apa. aku capati kepala ko nnt

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 0
    • thedarkside on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:04 pm

      jgn suka2 capatikan english!!!! puihh!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 0
    • mambang on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:08 pm

      tahniah.this comment even though it is rubbish,tp dont worry bro,it will be 1 of the highest rated.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 1
    • mr tosai on Dec 12, 2013 at 6:32 pm

      relinquish – melepaskan / 放棄 / त्यागना /. I love roti canai haha

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
    • Alpha on Dec 12, 2013 at 7:06 pm

      need english language tuition mr Janji Dicapati?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • Our friend probably thought linquish meant to throw away so re-linquish meant that its the reverse of linquish. So Sime Darby got back Alfa Romeo.

      Ta da!

      But seriously fellow commenter: never go full retard.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Hondasalesman on Dec 12, 2013 at 11:57 am

    Massive discount for the remaining stocks?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 3
    • hakimR on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:14 pm

      Mr.Honda,

      Not really giving massive discount but quite a bargain from what i heard. Too bad they only have one showroom in KL for convenience.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Shame on Dec 12, 2013 at 3:17 pm

      if massive discount – dare you buy 1? what if no one take over the dealership in 2 years down the road

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • Contender on Dec 12, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    Looks like NAZA will have another name to its stable ! Wanna bet ?? Good news they may sell at lower price but service would be worse or the same … LOL

    What a pity Alfa is a great car … Sime Darby selling at such bight margin … surely not gonna do well. Alta’s best years was with Milan Auto when the Alfa 156 and the 146 were plentiful on our roads.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 28 Thumb down 1
    • alldisc on Dec 12, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      milan auto was at most glorious in the late 90s with 146/145 and 155 models.

      there were all sold within a reasonable price back then.

      imagine we want to upgrade to something a level above proton putra dan perdana and what you get?? voila – alfa romeo!!
      during which time hyundai and kia were non existence. same goes to vios and city and others in 70-90K segment price.

      but milan took the wrong step by pricing the 156 from 110k (155 2.0 5 speed manual) to abt 200k (156 2.0 selespeed)

      the rest was history for alfa romeo.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • Sohai Babi on Dec 12, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Sime Darby is shit anyway, so both consumers and Alfa Romeo win eventually.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 5
    • AutoFrenz on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:15 pm

      But all their properties are sold out within seconds…even apeks also que up at 3am in the morning in their pyjamas or trunks just to buy a house with a very unique name like Picasso…now eat your words…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 7
      • mahchan on Dec 13, 2013 at 1:03 am

        I thought sime darby property is mainly their staff buy. More like Taman Sime Darby Pekerja.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • wba1889 on Dec 12, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    There goes the Alfa 4C !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • So italian brand just cannot pakai in bolehland?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4
    • AUSNSW on Dec 12, 2013 at 1:03 pm

      No lah…..Ferrari and Lamborghini quite success in bolehland

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
    • hakimR on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:16 pm

      Imo can but we need more expertise for troubleshooting, and spare parts ready in stock for any wear and tear or repairs…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • D.I.Y on Dec 12, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    Like it or don’t like it.. Sime Darby motors is the biggest distribution car industry in Malaysia, some more is goes up to international level. As a big listed company, of course they only look for number of profit making.. Alfa Romeo it is a good car, but Malaysian hard to digest the brand. Not to say 100% people concern about RV, but majority it yes. But I’m believe Sime Darby release one brand after sure will have others brand line up..hell knows

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • Blue cheese on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:13 pm

      The big boy is UMW. They have Toyota and Perodua

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
      • The issue here is reflective of the global position of Alfa Romeo – with their factories in Italy that are under utilized and product turnaround has been painfully slow – case in point, the yearly deferral of their US revival. This is not helped by stifling Italian work laws that has impeded their planned revival under Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. It would make sense for them to leverage on Fiat or Chrysler plants outside of Italy for cost efficiency but there is pride at play with the classic Italian brand. All this reduced the versatility of their products as heavy investment would’ve been required to localize their products to countries such as Malaysia. For Sime Darby, it really doesn’t make sense for them to hold on to something that has an uncertain future when they are aggressively expanding with their under marques such as BMW of which they have dealership rights in most APAC countries.

        SD Motors made RM770m in 2012 vs UMW RM426m. and that’s a fact you can check in their annual reports.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • alldisc on Dec 12, 2013 at 5:48 pm

      UMW has the volumes with Toyota, Lexus and Perodua.

      Sime Darby has Hyundai, AR, LR, Ford and BMW.

      on the other hand, DRB group has Honda, Suzuki, Mahindra, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and Audi.

      while Naza has Kia, Chevrolet, Peugoet, Citroen, Ferrari & Maserati.

      Both DRB and Naza has an even wider presence in terms of numbers of brands they have.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • kereta_lembu on Dec 12, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    Alfas are sexy cars! But sadly they seem to be expensive to maintain compared to other marques (not comparing with Japanese or Korean makes). If only they can have “more affordable” service & parts here in Malaysia, then we can see more of them on our roads. I know some @$$hole will tell me, if you cannot afford, then shut up. Even though I cannot afford one or cannot afford to maintain one, I still admire those who will still pick this brand because they have the passion for it. For those who wanna comment about Resale Value, you can shove that Vios up your @$$ :)

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 52 Thumb down 0
  • Maserati on Dec 12, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    Italian cars especially alfa romeo is a nightmare to maintain . And the reliability is 10x worst than germans.

    How u expect ppl to spend money on a car with almost zero aftersales service?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 18
    • hakimR on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:23 pm

      Nightmare to maintain here in Malaysia because we don’t really have right technicians. (though there are some “Alfa expert” out there). Also spare parts are expensive because it’s imported from EU. Most rely on chop shops to get spares (for older models). Most owners need to know how to maintain an Alfa to make it a “trouble free” car..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 1
    • Akira on Dec 12, 2013 at 3:08 pm

      I find it perplexing that your name is ripped off from an Italian car make, and yet you still downplay Italian cars. Surely you did not mistake the name for some local brand, did you?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 1
      • Maserati on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:46 pm

        I love Italian cars but only supercar ones, for example ferrari, lambo and maserati.

        Undortunately alfa is utter rubbish once u driven one b4..

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 26
        • Akira on Dec 12, 2013 at 5:06 pm

          Well first of all, quit talking as though you know what you’re talking about. It’s quite clear that you don’t.

          Secondly, Alfas are nowhere near the same as the rubbish that comes out from your mouth.

          Thirdly, it’s not the Alfas, but perhaps your driving that’s rubbish. So don’t blame the car for your incompetence.

          Noob :D

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 0
        • Gannnni on Dec 13, 2013 at 11:49 pm

          Please dont throw any stupid comment if u dont own this car..it show how moron u are..

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • Ali Karim on Dec 13, 2013 at 9:31 pm

      People who own cars like Alpha usually knows darn well about cars. Passion and enthusiasm about machine, the road and self. Its not a car for an Accountant.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • nabill on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    we all say nice n sexy bt nobody puts his money where his mouth is..so obviously thy give up…no loss actually…no marketing here…not a single advertisment to be seen….lame ass distrubution wil not work in a competitve market…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • bluebird on Dec 12, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    when will Government, DRB relinquish Potong into the dark abyss???

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 7
    • glaze on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:01 pm

      I think “abolish” is more suitable than “relinquish” for that brand, pls discontinue it!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 6
  • civicz on Dec 12, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    The current benchmark and example of high performance and solid built sedan of all time is Honda civic 2.0 ivtec. if any of the carmaker wants to have a good sales n good products..they must be benchmarking their car against honda civic. untill now be it TSI and DSG or Alfa twin spark or BMW twinscroll turbo or Audi TFSI or volvo ECOBOOST….none of them can match the strong pick up and motorway speeding of Civic 2.0 ivtec and also none can match civic AL4 5 speeders quirkiness. if Alfa wants to succeed..thry have to learn more from honda.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 63
    • Haha… you’re soooo funny.

      Honda Civic as a benchmark??? Mehhhh.

      Don’t forget to enter ‘Maharaja Lawak’ next year OK?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 0
    • glaze on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:03 pm

      bro u want Harvinder to show u the hilux or broomstick?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
    • Blue cheese on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      Damn u are like a h badge version of Sam Hilux loo

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 1
    • Akira on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:51 pm

      Are you a troll?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • Ali Karim on Dec 12, 2013 at 6:46 pm

      Btw., none also can beat Honda’s (and Hyundai’s) ability without remorse copy just about every car in the world.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • civicz – u must be living in your own planet . have some sense when putting an opinion. the benchmark for isn’t civic even for that segment anymore. perhaps as an affordable car the civic is good value. but definitely not of styling or fun to drive factor. civic is boring

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Italian stallion on Dec 12, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    Naza are already helming Ferrari, Maserati, so it should be a no brainer to pick up Alfa Romeo as well. They are the AP kings, so no problems with getting more stocks and of the 3 brands, Alfas are more affordable. Hopefully they can train their staff better in customer service, get a Real trainer or even Dato’s wife can do a better job than cronies. Naza’s other outlets suffer from this but they are quite stocked up with parts.

    I would wish for a 159 replacement down the road as 4C is not for everyday drive and the Mito, however cute is too small.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • vee-oh on Dec 12, 2013 at 3:16 pm

    Sam Loo will show 2 broomsticks to those who wants to trade in alfa romeo later

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • Eddie Ibrahim on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    good luck in maintaining the car…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 7
    • Akira on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      Sorry, but you seem to know absolutely about Alfas. Or perhaps even cars. Or perhaps even anything for that matter.

      I’ve got a 147 2.0 Twinspark and a 146 1.7 Boxer. I don’t need good luck to maintain the cars anymore than maintaining a Proton.

      Ignorant dingbat.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
      • dregen on Dec 13, 2013 at 12:39 am

        certainly agree with you bro. i’ve got 2.0 SS T-spark 147 as well. and i live in Pantai Timur. spare part was not an issues if u know specialist & good dealer.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • sudonano on Dec 12, 2013 at 4:34 pm

    Rather sad that the Alfa brand could not be revived. Yet.

    I think Naza Motors might be the next distributor…… very likely.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • I remember long long times ago, 70-80s bolehland have a lot of AR police car…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Ali Karim on Dec 12, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    Many of these “exotic” brands has good potential. Many premium automotive dealers failed to recognize and commit on Aftersales network. One of the main reasons why such brands dont have the stamina to last the well setup players like Merc, BM, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. Audi is another issue, apart from stock order, despite being in Malaysia for so many years they still do not have a comprehensive dealer network. If you look at all failed or failing auto companies, they have one and only center for everything at one spot – Glenmarie! Then there’s this “pay peanuts get monkeys” theory that the man at the very top cant comprehend. All they can see is Sales volume vs. Sales margin.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • will Sime Darby relinquish Mclaren in the past few years?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Rebadge on Dec 12, 2013 at 7:15 pm

    Haiya.. simple way la, ask proton take over, and then rebadge all the model. They always strong in this part.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
  • retard on Dec 12, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    the gomen should retard or relenquish the sales, exsais, import tax etcs for this type of bisness.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • much fiat. so low quality. very design. no spark. wow. no wow.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • lionpussy on Dec 13, 2013 at 1:24 am

    I hope naza take over alfa. Look at how they turn around the peugeot brand from a low key sales to respectable sales.

    What alfa is lacking now is a good replacement model for the 159. Given a choice, I rather drive the 159 than the utter boring vw passat or even the mazda 6. Dont believe…try parking those 2 cars next to the 159 and you will know what I mean. The 159 design and styling is still nice even though they already stop selling.

    I still recall an incident where a friend of mine was at hap seng checking out the new Mercedes, his 159 even attract the mercedes sales folks. Priceless :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
  • KopiO on Dec 13, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    One thing about Alfas car ownership, it’s so easy to strike up a conversation especially if you drive the v6 machines. Opening the engine hood will make any petrol head admires the v6 intakes. I must says, most of the german engine bay is boring covered with some plastic to hide the hideous engine.

    As for alfa, there’s no need for a cover to cover the engine. The engine itself is a piece of art. Just like the prancing horse.

    Hope Alfa brand find a good home in Malaysia.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • Gannnni on Dec 13, 2013 at 11:57 pm

      I wish there will be an AR dealer soon..saving up for my 2nd alfa which is the upcoming replacement of AR 159..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
      • ihateHilux on Dec 14, 2013 at 10:26 am

        U better save up extra for taxi and bus fare when ur car break down in the middle of no where.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
  • dearpixel on Dec 16, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    Pity about the dealership. Maybe the next one will be great for us alfa owners (me owns a Giulietta). Meantime, don’t visit middle of no where as per the advice given above. Maybe he knows what he’s talking about, poor bugger.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Contender on Dec 16, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    So from the news seems like DRB-HICOM is in the running for Alfa dealership …. looks like it’s either Syed Mokhtar or NAZA for automotive business in Malaysia !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Mat_Romeo on Dec 24, 2013 at 2:17 am

    OMG… NOOO…!!!! è la fine del mondo…!!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • jaybond on Jan 03, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    Alfa’s current product offering is a bit on the pathetic state.This brand is supposed to compete with the mainstream Europe luxury/semi-luxury models, and yet, customers only have Mito and Giuletta models to choose from.Even the foreign-owned Volvo and Jaguar have better offerings.I guess Fiat bosses are too slow & too fussy to finalize the meanstream models such as the 159 & 166 replacements..all the best to Alfa.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Jala Mas on Dec 04, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    I think Sime Darby Auto Italia has made the biggest mistake by bringing in the selespeed model..either the 147, 156 or 159, The model has proven to be giving big problems to its owners as far reliability is concerned. I had to tow my 147 previously twice. Just wonder why AI did not bring in more reliable and acceptable models such as 2.0 manual, turbo diesel which have proven more reliable and acceptable in UK and Australia, etc.
    They brought in the selespeed model perhaps from 1999 but has never eliminated the problem although with new facelift or subsequent models. Honestly, driving a selespeed makes owner feel inconfident. Always thinking of possible breakdown. Alfa Romeo Italy should have learnt from its problem with the Sud models in the 70s where the manufacturer did not really deal with the reliability and rust problems. All this are actually the main contributor to AR’s poor sale. Others include expensive repair and maintenance cost, expensive parts and inexperience mechanics. Not to mention low resale value.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • salehudin shah shabudin on Feb 16, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    I still keep 146 1.6 16 V TS till to date.
    I love the said car and enjoy driving experience feel better than my second car Jazz ivtec model 2015.

    Long live AR.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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