Japanese automaker says it will focus on high end of market.

MOTOR Image Group is to targetg the premium end of the auto market when it sells Subaru vehicles in the Kingdom for the first time from early next year, said the Malaysian distributor’s Cambodia country head.

It plans to retail just two models out of its Mao Tse-tung Boulevard showroom from February or March – the Forester 2.0X and 2.5XT sport utility vehicles – Motor Image Group Cambodia General Manager Jonathan Tan said.

“Subaru will be a premium car in Cambodia,” he said. “We will only market our top models for this purpose.”

The firm aims to sell 100 vehicles from the Japanese automaker in its first year of operations, Tan said.

It was attracted by the long-term growth potential of auto sales in Cambodia, he said, adding that the firm plans to expand domestic operations from its initial showroom “to work with dealers in other cities and provinces”.

Tan said the firm is counting on the popularity of the Subaru brand and its “many years of experience” in Asian markets to be successful in Cambodia.

The planned expansion will generate 20 to 30 jobs initially, providing full service and support for the vehicles within the Kingdom.

Motor Image introduced Subaru to Singapore more than 10 years ago and is Subaru’s official distributor in 10 Asian countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and China.

The firm is setting up operations concurrently in Cambodia and Vietnam, which will share management.

Motor Image – a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Tan Chong International Ltd – also exports Nissan vehicles to Singapore.