PHNOM Penh’s Worldwide Garage began importing Great Wall Motor Company (GWMC) vehicles for the first time this month, director Kan Pisey said Thursday.

The business, on Street 217, has exclusive rights to import the cars, which cost between US$10,000 to $40,000, into the Kingdom.

Last year, 80 percent of Great Wall’s cars had been sold to India and Australia.

“In early January, we imported 18 vehicles ... six models, to test the market,” she said.

The six models are called Peri, Florid, Cool Deer, Hover, Windle and Cowry. The garage hopes to import up to 150 units by the end of the year, Kan Pisey added.

Worldwide Garage estimates that domestic demand for new vehicles could be around 2,000 cars a year.

“Although, last year’s global economic crisis hit the car industry hard in South Korea and the US, the industry in China was not impacted,” she said. “We have seen high demand for new branded cars in our country.”

GWMC is a multinational car manufacturer that became China’s first private automobile enterprise to be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in December, 2003. Its products are sold to more than 121 countries.

The company has more than 30 subsidiaries and more than 22,000 staff members.

At present, Great Wall Motor manufactures three types of vehicle – sedans, SUVs and Pickup MPVs – with an annual capacity to complete 400,000 vehicles.

It also independently produces car parts such as engines, as well as front and rear axles.

“We are not only importing cars but also spare parts. Customers are always concerned when their cars need a part changed,” Kan Pisey said.

Presently, Cambodia has six distributors of new and branded cars.