Precision Cars (Cambodia) Limited announced on Friday that they will no longer operate as the authorized distributor of German car Porsche in the country, thanking the community for its support but failing to elaborate on their departure.

In a Facebook post, Porsche Cambodia said, “On March 31 2023, Precision Cars (Cambodia) Limited will no longer operate as the authorised distributor of Porsche new and approved sports cars in Cambodia. We would like to thank the passionate Porsche community in Cambodia for the unwavering support over the past years, and we hope that you will continue to enjoy your Porsche.”

The post added that HGB Group will take over from April 1 of after sales and warranty support in Cambodia.

A call to a phone number listed along with the post went unanswered on Saturday. This comes after another German car company, Mercedes Benz, also ceased its authorised distribution in Cambodia with Star Auto (Cambodia).

dynamic_detail_1

In a Facebook post in February, Mercedes Benz said that RMA (Cambodia) has taken over as the service provider and is responsible for warranty support.

Commenting on the two departures, economist Ngeth Chou said that the Cambodian market is too small for big brands, adding that the population prefers bigger Japanese SUVs, particularly Toyota Lexus.

The exit comes after another German car company, Mercedes Benz, also ceased its authorised distribution with Star Auto (Cambodia). Kiripost/Siv Channa

“The market for Mercedes and Porsche, which are premium, is small. The purchasing power, those who can afford it is very small, so it is difficult to support these companies to stand up,” Chou told Kiripost on Saturday.

“So to say whether this good or bad for the economy, there is nothing to confirm that because firstly, the size of the market is too small and secondly, we say that when it is closure like this, that money will be used somewhere else instead. I don’t think so, when it is closed like this, for those who love to use expensive luxurious cars, they can still order ones from abroad or use Lexus 570 or other big SUVs.”

dynamic_detail_2

The negative thing is the exit of big brands out of the country, Chou said.

“This can have a negative effect,” Chou added.

prak.chanthul@kiripost.com