After ten years of bossing the automotive and construction equipment market in Uganda, leading automobile solutions giants, Double Q, have taken the big leap into SUV and passenger car distribution market.
The big jump was announced Friday by Richard Musani, the head of marketing at Double Q, during the launch of the GWM/Double Q state-of-the-art showroom at Old Portbell Road in Kampala.
Musani revealed that the newly launched showroom will be the home of the long range of GWM’s exquisite car brands led by the monstrous Tank 500, which made a long-awaited entry into the Ugandan automobile market at the same event on Friday.
Together with the all-terrain-conquering Tank 500, Double Q will sell to Ugandans GWM’s other sleek car brands namely; the GWM Tank 300, GWM P 500, GWM P-Series, HAVAL H6, HAVAL JOLION, and the GWM ORA 03.
“Double Q Ltd will be responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of GWM vehicles in Uganda. The company will also provide comprehensive after-sales services, including maintenance, repairs, and spare parts supply, to ensure that customers receive the best possible support throughout their ownership experience,” Musani said.
He added that GWM, which for the last three decades has been renowned as a reputable manufacturer of high-quality durable and reliable vehicles with innovative features; chose Double Q Ltd as its car distributor due to its extensive experience in the automotive industry and its commitment to providing exceptional customer service. “The company’s expertise and knowledge of the local market will enable GWM to effectively cater to the needs of Ugandan customers,” he said.
GWM CARS DEFINE AUTOMOBILE SOLUTIONS
Steven Dumba, the Sales Manager for GWM, noted that the Tank 500 and its sister brands that were launched onto the Ugandan market Friday epitomize new solutions on the Ugandan automobile market. This is simply because they boast unique features which are designed to give the Ugandan customer a unique experience which can’t be got anywhere else.
“Our cars are beyond mere marks of quality because they offer a completely different experience to any driver. Actually, today is not merely a launch for cars but rather a launch of unique (automobile) solutions — because that’s what defines us,” Dumba said.
He promised that the experience of any GWM car customer will be enhanced by the acquisition of a sleek SUV ride at an extremely affordable price; which car also comes with the friendliest aftersales service package any Ugandan driver can ever dream about.
“Our Pickup will go for USD 37,500 while the mid-range station wagons including the HAVAL will cost around USD 30,400. By all standards, these are affordable prices but the buyer will be guaranteed of an after sales which will include ‘support on location’,” he said.
According to Dumba, this is an arrangement where GWM deploys a dedicated team of mechanics to monitor the customer’s vehicle with the sole purpose of offering them timely routine maintenance of the car from the buyer’s point of convenience.
“You won’t have to first call us to come and do routine checks. Rather, our mobile service team will come to you and do routine maintenance whenever it is due, as per our auto-generated reminder system which enables us to know when every car that is bought from us is due for service,” he explained.
Dumba noted that to make this experience even better, GWM/Double has established a state-of-the-art service bay at Busega and they hope to partner with fuel giants Total to collaborate in offering unique aftersales services to their customers across the country.
STANBIC BANKS MAKES THE TANK 500 DRIVER’S DREAM REALITY
The juicier news for all Ugandans is that GWM/Double Q have made it even easier for any customer with the desire to drive the monstrous Tank 500 and its sister cars to own one without so much hustle.
According to Ronald Sonko, the Head Vehicle and Asset Financing at Stanbic Bank, they have partnered with GWM/Double Q to make the acquisition of the Tank 500 a reality at more flexible financing terms for both individuals and companies.
He explained that depending on one’s risk profile, the bank may finance the acquisition of a GWM ride at up to 90%-100% over a period of up to 48-60 months.
“The real good news here is that because of the longstanding partnership that we have with double Q/GWM spanning about 10 years, we can even negotiate on the interest rates,” Sonko said.
NEW DAWN
Speaking at the event, Mr. Cheng, the GWM Sales Director in charge of the African Market, reiterated the company’s commitment to provide a unique experience to Ugandans who will buy their cars.
“These line up of products are part of GWM’s rapidly expanding portfolio and are set to meet customers at different points of need. This partnership will enable us to bring our world-class vehicles to the Ugandan market, providing customers with a unique driving experience and unparalleled after-sales support.”
On his part, Bruce Lin, the Managing Director Double Q Co. Ltd, urged Ugandans to visit them at their new showroom to have a feel of the new automobile experience in town!
“We are proud to partner with GWM, sharing their vision for Uganda’s automotive future. Together we will provide unparalleled sales and after sales services. We are officially open to customers and our full team of dedicated staff in both sales and aftersales are ready to serve you,” he said.
BUY NEW VEHICLES
Meanwhile, Friday’s glamorous launch was presided over by Dr. Timothy Tibesigwa, the Ministry of Works and Transport Chief Mechanical Engineer, who represented the Permanent Secretary.
In his remarks, Tibesigwa urged Ugandans to buy new cars, arguing that most times they offer lower life cycle costs on top of other benefits such as enhancing the drivers’ safety and protecting the environment from heightened pollution. He decried the fact that while Ugandans buy an average of 40,000 cars annually, only 3000 of these are new cars— yet sometimes the price margin between a new and old car is minimal.
On the same note, Tibesigwa thanked companies like Double Q/GWM for being part of Uganda’s development agenda through supplying vehicles and other construction machinery such as Sino Trucks, Heli Forklifts, among others, which aid in infrastructural development. He congratulated them upon entering the passenger and SUV car market; however, urging them to think of manufacturing the cars locally.
A GLIMPSE OF THE TANK 500
GWM’s flagship Tank 500 monster lands onto the Ugandan marketed as the ultimate family SUV ride Powered by a direct-injection 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder petrol-electric engine with a combined power output of 255 kW and 648 Nm of torque, the Tank 500 has enough performance to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 8.3 seconds.
A 7-seater, the Tank 500 comes with a comprehensive suite of active and passive safety systems designed to protect occupants on the road, e.g., Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Collision Warning, among others.
About GWM, Double Q
GWM is a leading Chinese automotive brand, founded in 1984. The company is headquartered in Baoding, Hebei Province, China, and has a global presence in over 60 countries. GWM is known for its high-quality vehicles, including the HAVAL, TANK, ORA and P-series brands, which are popular for their durability, reliability, and innovative features.
Meanwhile, Double Q is a leading automotive distributor in Uganda with extensive experience in sales, marketing and after sales services- it’s the Authorized Distributor of Sinotruk a Leading Truck seller in Uganda, XCMG Road and Industrial Equipment, Heli Forklifts and now GWM Passenger Cars, SUVs and Pickups.
