Aveo and Optra launch by Hicom-Chevrolet

Hicom-Chevrolet Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture between GM and Malaysian state-owned industrial conglomerate DRB-Hicom has began revving up its activities with the launch (or should I say re-launch) of the Aveo and Optra last Wednesday.

Below are some of my observations :


Image courtesy of NST-Business Times

Notice the theme “Chevrolution,” a play of words between Chevrolet and Revolution. I thought that theme was rather familiar. Of course it was! Back in 2001, during the launch of its S60, Volvo used the theme ReVolvoLution. And Volvo had a bloody good reason to mix and match the word revolution with Volvo, because the S60 represents a segment for Volvo. Design wise, it broke away all conventions and preconceived notions of what a Volvo should be like; boxy, safe but boring, a car for your dad or granddad but not for you. It changed all that whilst at the same time maintaining the signature Volvo design elements, most notably its strong shoulder lines and the prominent “V” theme that extends from the A-pillars to across the hood down to the grille. It’s different and modern but yet at the same time you knew right away that it’s a new Volvo, a Volvo for the 21st century.


Image courtesy of Vinton Lennon

Back to Chevrolet’s launch. The Optra sedan and Estate were already launched some years back by the previous distributor of Hicomobil. The Aveo sedan was actually the first car launched by the newly established Hicom-Chevrolet, albeit in a low-key manner and it was then called an Aveo Notchback. Hicom-Chevrolet’s first real launch was with the Captiva SUV. In other words, last Wednesday’s launch was basically a relaunch of a B-segment compact sedan and launch of 2 facelifted D-segment sedan and estate model. OK, maybe some might argue that it was an evolution rather than revolution, but it still begs the question of originality of ideas within Hicom-Chevrolet, or rather the event agency contracted.



Images courtesy of Paul Tan.

And then there is the theme of the launch. What struck me when I first saw the press photos of the launch were the models (I mean the biological ones) holding placards. One of the more often reported news at the moment is the anti-Beijing Olympics protest in USA, Europe and India by human rights activists. I can’t help putting the two pieces together and asked what are the models picketing about?

Wouldn’t a better theme to be to have the models dressed as the exact target group the models (the metallic ones this time) are targeted at? A female model dressed as a college student / entry-level urban executive for the compact Aveo. Metrosexual yuppie males dressed in smart casual for the Optra sedan, which was what they already have done but I think it would have been better if they just left it as such. An active athletic male model dressed in one of those tights for cycling / kayaking or rock climbing etc etc for the Optra Estate. Heck why not just throw in a bike or a kayak at the trunk of the Optra Estate just to prove a point of its cargo flexibility? It should be a self explanatory message that the Aveo is a compact econo-box that the young are not embarrassed to drive one, the Optra is for upcoming urban executives while the Optra Estate is for the active lifestyle person who is not willing to compromise the ride-handling and fuel economy of a car for a huge fuel-guzzling SUV.

But honestly I am just being picky. Those minor PR issues have minimal impact to the companies bottom line. Where Hicom-Chevrolet dropped the ball was in its pre-sales materials, I mean the website and brochures. I am not sure about others but I am one of those geeks who uses the Internet for almost everything from deciding where to eat with food blogs to getting my directions via Google Maps / Google Earth. And I definitely don’t rely on a sales person for the pitch but I do rely on the company’s website, even more than the brochure.



As of today, Hicom-Chevrolet’s website are still not updated with the newly launched models. It’s still carrying the discontinued Aveo hatchback and the old Optra! The brochures are no better as there isn’t even a specs list for the Optra sedan.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Hicom-Chevrolet and I actually want to see them succeed. I really mean that, simply because GM has announced its commitment to Malaysia by setting up local assembly operations in Malaysia. That would mean more jobs and desperately needed investments, as our government hasn’t been entirely honest on the state of FDIs for Malaysia. I would love to see Chevy giving the Japanese a good run for their money. For all the hype about Korean makes around the world, both Hyundai and Kia have yet to make any significant inroads to the Japanese stronghold, which I attribute that to a weak management. Kia (Naza) is largely a family-run business and is heavily reliant on discounts to push its car out the door while Hyundai have such a complicated arrangement in Malaysia that till today I don’t quite understand how the organization works.

It is estimated that the local auto industry supports 47,000 jobs with a turnover of over 6 billion Euros (blame it on my source for the currency). Any additional assembly operations will have a multiplier effect as parts, financing, logistics and other services will have to be sourced locally. So I have every reason to see Chevy succeed this time around. I just hope that they can get their acts together to be all the GM can be in Asia. For all GM’s woes in USA, GM, particularly it’s Cadillac brand is actually doing pretty well in China. Let’s hope things will get better as they improve.