“Our premium Changan vehicles will erase all the negative aura of Chinese brands.”, says Mr. Prashanna Panta

Changan Auto has made its official debut in Nepal this year. It is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing, China.

It is a well-known company with a rich history and uncompromised legacy. After successfully maintaining its global presence, it finally entered the Nepali market in November 2021.

It currently offers two of its premium products: Changan Alsvin and Changan Hunter. And, it has successfully garnered a positive response.

Being one of the biggest Chinese automakers, we wanted to know more about Changan from those leading it in the Nepali market.

To do that, we sat down with Mr. Prashanna Panta, Deputy General Manager at MAW Vriddhi Autocorp Pvt. Ltd who holds an experience of over 8 years in the automobile and allied business.

This is what he shared with us.

TL: After Changan’s official launch in Nepal, how has your first-hand experience been so far?

We have received impressive feedback from our customers within the first few months of Changan Auto’s arrival in the Nepalese market. The customers have been impressed with the overall aspects of our premium range of vehicles. We are getting in a good number of inquiries, be it at our state-of-art showroom or on our digital platforms.

Those who have taken the test drive have provided amazing feedback on the features of both Alsvin and Hunter. In addition to all this, we are proud to announce that we have already sold a good number of vehicles and have received exceptional bookings as well. 

It’s safe to say that in such a short period, we have already imprinted our name in the Nepalese automobile industry. And I believe that we are just getting started as we will be bringing in more vehicles from our wide portfolio of premium vehicles.

TL: There is a growing trend of bringing in new brands from China, what was the reasoning behind bringing Changan Auto specifically?

The main reason behind bringing Changan Auto is because of the legacy it holds.

Changan Auto has 62 years of history in the automobile industry. It is the number one passenger brand in China with over 1000 vehicle variants, reaching almost 70 countries around the globe. 

Apart from that, we have 10 R&D centers all around the world which shows our will towards continuous innovation and improvement.

Moreso, it is also the top domestic passenger brand in China. Now, it has become a leading name in the global automobile industry.

In addition to this, Changan Auto has always put its emphasis on providing futuristic vehicles that excel in terms of design, feature, and technology without any compromises on the reliability of the brand.

We have introduced premium vehicles, which have a blend of luxury, comfort, and performance. And, our vehicles have proved their worth by winning various awards in various categories.

We strongly believe that Changan Auto has what it takes to establish itself as a well-renowned brand in the Nepalese market.

TL: Many new car brands are entering Nepal right now. What are the important features that make Changan special?

The premium vehicles of Changan Auto come loaded with attractive features that provide the best utility.

It has the best-looking interiors and exteriors that are bound to turn heads and comfort the eyes of the customers. Changan Auto vehicles have the most futuristic design and technology that provides maximum performance. 

We are fully committed to providing maximum customer satisfaction whether it be in terms of sales or after-sales. In addition to this, we have attractive financing and banking facilities to ease the buying process for the customers.

TL: So far, we have seen Changan Alsvin and Changan Hunter make their debut in the Nepali market. Both are premium category vehicles. How do you plan on ensuring Changan’s success when it directly rivals Japanese brands like Suzuki, Honda, Toyota, ISUZU, etc.?

We are completely aware of the current market scenario and the dominant players in the market.

Despite all this, we are fully confident about where we stand and what we can deliver. Changan Auto is the largest automobile brand in China with a renowned presence in the global automobile industry. 

Since Changan Auto is a global brand, it has all the necessary attributes to give tough competition to any automobile brands existing in the market.

Changan Auto has always focused on Design, Technology, and Performance. The premium product vehicles of Changan have the right blend of design, technology, and maximum performance.

With all of those attributes by our side, we aim to create a new era of Chinese vehicles in the Nepalese market.

TL: Changan is a China-made vehicle. Unfortunately, Chinese products have an aura behind them for being unreliable at times. Earning customer trust is always a one-sided battle, how will Changan Auto tackle this problem?

We completely take note of the Chinese perception prevalent in the market. However, there is a paradigm shift in the current automobile market.

The Chinese automobile industry has taken over more than 25% of the global automobile market. Chinese brands are being highly preferred in the global market which shows that Chinese automobile brands are indeed reliable.

Besides that, Changan Auto has always focused on service, quality, and continuous improvement.  By focusing on these aspects, we believe that our premium vehicles will erase all the negative aura of Chinese brands. 

TL: There is a liquidity crisis in Nepal where many industries (including Auto Industry) have been hit. How is Changan tackling this problem?

The liquidity crisis has hit the Nepalese economy badly and one of the major victims has been the automobile industry.

This is an issue for all the automobile companies in the market. But, we believe that no single entity can overturn this, rather it requires a joint effort.

As of now, we don’t have any concrete plans to tackle the problem but we stand firm with all other companies to solve this issue.

TL: What is your future vision for Changan Auto in Nepal?

We aim to be the number one Chinese automobile brand in Nepal. Similarly, we hope to become the Top 10 automobile passenger brands in Nepal within the next three years.

Talking about our future products, our customers can expect futuristic models from our premium range of vehicles. 

We are planning to bring Oshan X7, a premium SUV, by the end of 2022. In addition, we also have plans to bring in futuristic vehicles like CS 35 plus and UNI-T soon.

We also understand the rising demand for EVs in the Nepalese market. Keeping this in mind, we have plans to introduce our finest range of EVs in near future.