KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd expects to sell between 200 and 300 cars next year under its newly introduced Proven Exclusivity certified pre-owned Mercedes-Benz programme, said its president and CEO Peter Honegg. Under the programme, buyers can purchase a Mercedes-Benz model that is five years old or less with less than 100,000km mileage backed by the company’s certification and warranties. All certified pre-owned Mercedes-Benz cars sold under the programme will carry the ‘Proven Exclusivity’ signet. “Buyers can rest assured that their cars carry the same standards that new car owners have long been used to,” Honegg told reporters at the media launch of the programme here yesterday. He added that while buying used cars was a common practice elsewhere in the world, it had been slow to catch on in Asia. “However, we have seen a steady increase in used car sales due to the global economic downturn,” said Honegg. “This is an opportunity for those who cannot afford a brand new Mercedes-Benz for the time being to join our family.” “Presently, used Mercedes-Benz cars in Malaysia are sold by individual dealers who may not provide certification or warranty, but with the Proven Exclusivity programme, this will end.” He added that with overall aspects of safety, comfort, reliability and good residual value, pre-owned Mercedes-Benz cars had continued to generate impressive demand. Senior manager in the market intelligence and business development unit, Jim Tan, said it expected the demand for pre-owned Mercedes-Benz cars to rise due to the stringent 215-point check by trained personnel and its minimum warranty of 12 months or up to 20,000km as well as servicing benefits at respective dealerships.He added that in most developed economies such as in the United States and United Kingdom, the used car market was double the size of the new car market. “Mercedes-Benz dealerships will also benefit from this programme as it would complement their portfolios and expose them to a new consumer base,” he said, adding that this programme was the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. “A similar programme was launched in Europe last year, and the response has been good,” he said. According to Tan, the pre-owned cars would come from existing Mercedes-Benz customers. He added that average Mercedes-Benz car owners used their cars for four to six years before trading in for a newer model. The more popular models under the programme are expected to be reflective of the sales of bestselling new cars, namely the C-Class and E-Class models. On his outlook for car sales, Honegg said he was confident that things were on the upward trend. “For the rest of 2009, we are also positive that we can beat our 2007 sales numbers of 3,600 cars,” he said. Last year, the company saw record sales of 4,200 cars despite the global economic slowdown towards year-end as orders had been placed for the cars before the end of 2008 when the crisis was at its worst. The Proven Exclusivity programme will be offered in phases at selected Mercedes-Benz dealerships nationwide, starting with five dealerships, namely Cycle & Carriage Bintang Petaling Jaya, Cycle & Carriage Bintang Mutiara, Hap Seng Star Kinrara, NZ Wheels Klang and Lowe Motor Juru in Penang. The second phase of the programme is scheduled for early 2010 and will see four more dealerships participating. This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, October 9, 2009.