DUCATI MALAYSIA OUTLINES EXPANSION WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF DUCATI CORSE CREDIT AND 2 NEW DUCATI CENTRES IN KUALA LUMPUR AND JOHOR BAHRU

Ducati Malaysia and Next Bike Sdn Bhd, the sole importer and distributor for the Ducati brand in Malaysia, announced an expansion plan led by the launch of Ducati Corse Credit, an in-house financing facility for the purchase of all new Ducati motorcycles, and the setting-up of 2 new exclusive Ducati Centres in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru.

The introduction of Ducati Corse Credit is made available by the Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary Naza Credit & Leasing Sdn Bhd which has been in the business of financing of motor vehicles, both cars and motorcycles since 1984 and will complement existing facilities already made available to customers by various partner financial institutions.

Ducati Corse Credit extends greater options, accessibility and convenience to customers, offering them an attractive interest rate from as low as 4.88% per annum, loan tenure of up to 7 years, a minimum down payment of 10% and faster approval rate.

“We continue to work very hard to reaffirm Ducati’s position as one of the top and most sought after premium motorcycle brands in Malaysia. Achieving this not only entails bringing to the market diversity and an exciting range of superior models, but it must also be preceded by elevating our service and standards to ensure that customers obtain the very best from both the sales and after sales experience,” said Ducati Malaysia and Next Bike Sdn Bhd Head of Company Dennis Michael.

Michael added that Ducati Malaysia’s expansion program will be greatly boosted by the addition of 2 new exclusive Ducati Centres in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur that complement existing facilities in Sungai Buloh and Penang as well as the largest certified 3S centre in Petaling Jaya. The Ducati Centre in Petaling Jaya is also the second largest Ducati showroom in Southeast Asia with a built-up area of 16,339 square feet, a service area that spans 5,009 square feet and is equipped with eight working bays, capable of servicing up to 450 bikes per month. Work is also currently underway to upgrade the existing Ducati Centre in Sungai Buloh which is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

The 2 new centres will be located in Wisma Pahlawan in Jalan Sultan Sulaiman in Kuala Lumpur and in Taman Daya in Johor Bahru, and will be oprated by newly-appointed dealers Madani Greatlink Sdn Bhd and Ultra Maxlink Sdn Bhd respectively.

Against the challenging backdrop of a worldwide pandemic, business was as usual if not greatly intensified at Ducati Malaysia with the launch of numerous models throughout 2020 and 2021.

Globally, both 2020 and 2021 were also milestone years for Ducati and in Malaysia, with 2021 recording the best ever year for the brand with a total of 59,447 motorcycles worldwide – an achievement that not only marks a 24% increase in sales from 2020 but has also been instrumental in propelling growth and presence in Malaysia.

“Expansion however, will take its natural course as acceptance grows. We are 100% focused on the business, incredibly passionate about the brand and its products, we have a very clear objective of where we want the brand to be positioned, and with Ducati’s unwavering support and that of our shareholders, we are well underway towards establishing Ducati as the most desirable premium motorcycle in the market.”

This is echoed by Ducati Asia Pacific’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing Marco Biondi who said that growth and investing into the network must be allowed to take a natural and sustainable course.

“Malaysia is one of the top ranking countries for Ducati in the Asia Pacific region and I believe with the resources, commitment and determination Ducati Malaysia has invested over the years, the brand will thrive as will this long term partnership grow even stronger,” said Biondi.

“In this business, especially for us at Ducati, it’s all about passion for the brand, its heritage and the products that we offer our customers. Passion not only enables the customer to better understand and appreciate our brand values as well as what we represent, but it genuinely communicates to them the excitement surrounding both the brand and the product.

“Passion is also a very important criterion that goes into selecting the partners that we work with and our representatives globally, and I genuinely see this passion and an equally strong desire to propel the brand to greater heights in the team at Ducati Malaysia and Next Bike who are not only invested commercially but more importantly, emotionally, in the brand and this is precisely what fuels growth.”

Biondi added that Ducati’s 1^st quarter of 2022 results have also shown a 5% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2021 and surpassing the achievements of 2020 by some 40%.

“Passion as I have earlier mentioned, has been the single most important component of this success and exponential growth – Passion in designing and engineering motorcycles that are built to be technologically superior on all fronts, but more importantly rediscovering and redefining the levels of excitement and enjoyment in riding.”

Today, Europe accounts for 54% of Ducati’s global sales with Asia contributing approximately 12%. Demand in Asia however, is rapidly growing as motorcycling becomes not only an important part in commuting but has also evolved to play a very big part in shaping lifestyles.

Ducati currently operates 3 manufacturing plants in Italy, Brazil and Thailand. Thailand has a capacity of 20,000 motorcycles per year and currently manufacture 9 models, of which half the production output are exported worldwide namely to the Asean and European countries.