Mercedes-Benz Opens Its First Repair Facility in Indonesia
Although Mercedes-Benz has a long history in Indonesia, it only opened its first body and paint service center in Southeast Asia's largest economy on Friday (31/03). The facility's exact location is the Cakrawala Automotif Rabhasa facility, plotted on 11,000 square meters of land in Tangerang (Banten). Here consumers can bring their Mercedez-Benz for authorized repair services with quality and safety assurance that is certified by Germany's Daimler, Mercedes' parent company.
Mercedes-Benz has a long history in Indonesia because the nation's first president, Soekarno, decided to use a Mercedes-Benz as his presidential vehicle, hence the brand became a particular symbol of status and luxury in Indonesia. Interestingly enough, Soekarno started a tradition that is continued up to the present day. Each following president (up to Joko Widodo, the nation's seventh president) used the Mercedes-Benz as his or her presidential vehicle.
The premium car market in Indonesia is actually rather small. Only about 1 percent of total car sales in Indonesia involve premium brands. However, as Mercedes-Benz detects rising demand in Indonesia it felt the need to open a local repair facility to cater rising demand for repair services. Based on data from the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), a total of 183,323 cars were sold in Indonesia in the January-February 2017 period, up 5.7 percent (y/y) from car sales in the same period one year earlier. Last year, a total of 1.06 million cars were sold in Indonesia.
At the opening of the repair facility, Roelof Lamberts, Chief Executive at Mercedes-Benz Distribution Indonesia, said it can handle up to 250 vehicles each month and the company employs 12 body and paint-certified experts.
Indonesian Car Sales (CBU):
| Month | Sold Cars 2013 |
Sold Cars 2014 |
Sold Cars 2015 |
Sold Cars 2016 |
Sold Cars 2017 |
| January | 96,718 | 103,609 | 94,194 | 85,002 | 86,601 |
| February | 103,278 | 111,824 | 88,740 | 88,208 | 96,722 |
| March | 95,996 | 113,067 | 99,410 | 94,092 | |
| April | 102,257 | 106,124 | 81,600 | 84,770 | |
| May | 99,697 | 96,872 | 79,375 | 88,567 | |
| June | 104,268 | 110,614 | 82,172 | 91,488 | |
| July | 112,178 | 91,334 | 55,615 | 61,891 | |
| August | 77,964 | 96,652 | 90,537 | 96,282 | |
| September | 115,974 | 102,572 | 93,038 | 92,541 | |
| October | 112,039 | 105,222 | 88,408 | 92,106 | |
| November | 111,841 | 91,327 | 86,938 | 100,215 | |
| December | 97,706 | 78,802 | 73,264 | 86,573 | |
| Total | 1,229,916 |
1,208,019 | 1,013,291 | 1,061,735 |
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
| Car Sales (car units) |
486,061 | 764,710 | 894,164 | 1,116,230 |
1,229,916 | 1,208,019 | 1,013,291 | 1,061,735 |
| Car Exports (car units) |
56,669 | 85,769 | 107,932 | 173,368 | 170,907 | 202,273 | 207,691 |
Source: Gaikindo