Automotive Asia (Cambodia), the only authorised dealer of Audi vehicles in Cambodia, opened its first showroom in Phnom Penh yesterday.

The 2,000-square-metre showroom on Monivong Boulevard currently holds just two of the German carmaker’s models, the Q7 and the A8L, with prices ranging between $135,000 and $206,000.

“The number of people who are wealthy is not such a large market, but [it is] still big enough for at least one showroom like this one to be doing a profitable business,” Laurent Genet, chairman of Automotive Asia Cambodia, said.

“This has been our experience in other emerging countries.”

Audi is the latest luxury car brand to enter the local market, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Range Rover and Porsche all now with their own showrooms.

Pily Wong, chief executive of Hung Hiep Group – the Cambodian distributor of Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen – said the increasing number of dealerships helps deter people from buying “grey market” imports.

“Grey importers don’t have professional maintenance services and in many cases import cars without knowing the car’s history,” Wong said. “I am more afraid of competition from these unfair car dealers.

More car brands coming to Cambodia – I think it is very healthy.”