What do Hyundai, MG, Suzuki, Maxus, SsangYong and Isuzu have in common? All these brands are imported into our country by Astara Western Europe, which leads to interesting advantages for fleet customers.
Astara’s name may not be familiar to you yet. However, it is a major player in the automotive market, both in Belgium and internationally. Since the beginning of this year, Astara is the new name under which the Spanish Bergé Auto and its Belgian subsidiary Alcomotive distribute several car brands and aim to build an ecosystem of mobility services for individuals and companies.
Astara Western Europe operates in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. “We have a strong presence with more than 711 points of sale in Europe and more than 230,000 vehicles sold per year,” says Kaat Van Severen, Head of Fleet Division at Astara Western Europe. “In Belgium, we are ultimately aiming for an annual volume of 50,000 vehicles.” The fleet market is an important target group in this respect.
Upshifting
“When we talk to companies, we find that Astara as a group offers certain advantages. We used to approach customers by brand. Now the customer has one contact person for six brands We find that clients develop a much closer relationship with their account manager this way and the process is simplified and accelerated as a result.”
What brands?
Thanks to Astara, you have access to a wide range of models. “We have not one, but six brands of passenger cars and vans in our portfolio which are very complementary,” says Kaat Van Severen. Each brand has its own strengths. “For example, the mission of MG is to make electric driving accessible to everyone. As an electric station wagon, the MG5 Electric is unique on the market. At the Brussels Motor Show, we will launch the more compact MG4 Electric, which is very competitively priced. ”
hyundai offers a large electric range (up to 507 km) with the IONIQ 5 SUV and will soon launch the very refined IONIQ 6, which boasts more than 610 km of range (WLTP standard). “We must not forget plug-in hybrid vehicles either, which are still very interesting today. For example, the TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid is very successful on the fleet market”, emphasizes Kaat Van Severen.
At the house of SsangYong, you will find a 100% electric variant of the Korando, the e-Motion. “This beautiful and spacious SUV keeps its promises. At the level of Asian brands, we find that the advertised autonomy, which reaches 474 km on this model, is very reliable. “
On the fleet market, Suzuki is mainly positioned in the segment of hybrid vehicles (rechargeable). “Many motorists drive a lot of miles, but are not yet ready for a fully electric car. The Suzuki Swace self-charging hybrid, an affordable and spacious station wagon, is the perfect solution. Together with the Across SUV, Suzuki also offers a plug-in hybrid plug-in vehicle.”
Japanese Isuzu, meanwhile, is instead targeting a niche segment with its D-Max pickup. “We are interested, for example, in construction companies, veterinarians, freelancers or municipalities located in wooded areas”, explains Kaat Van Severen. “The D-Max is a rugged premium product.”
Maxus is a relatively young manufacturer that stands out for its electric utility vehicles. “The eDeliver 3 is a compact electric van that is very successful with municipalities or parcel delivery services. Our customer Andy, a beverage delivery service that makes home deliveries with the eDeliver 3, is a great example. Maxus is also offering a larger electric van, the eDeliver 9, and will be showcasing an electric pickup, the T90 EV, at the Brussels Auto Show.”
Future projects
Astara still has a lot of plans. Thus, a subscription service is planned for the near future. “We notice that certain sectors sometimes need additional vehicles, for example during the Christmas period. Today, everyone has online subscriptions to services such as Netflix, Spotify or HelloFresh. We also want to highlight places the same type of offer for cars, both for individuals and for fleet customers.” Astara also offers many products on the periphery of the car: from classic insurance and financing to additional services and materials such as charging stations. In the future, we will also be offering household batteries or, who knows, photovoltaic panels. Finally, Astara plans to add brands over time. “Thanks to our organization and our structure, it is easy to attract additional brands, which is all the more advantageous for the fleet customer”, concludes Kaat Van Severen.
Astara’s name may not be familiar to you yet. However, it is a major player in the automotive market, both in Belgium and internationally. Since the beginning of this year, Astara is the new name under which the Spanish Bergé Auto and its Belgian subsidiary Alcomotive distribute several brands of cars and aim to build an ecosystem of mobility services for individuals and companies.Astara Western Europe operates in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. “We have a strong presence with more than 711 points of sale in Europe and more than 230,000 vehicles sold per year,” says Kaat Van Severen, Head of Fleet Division at Astara Western Europe. “In Belgium, we are ultimately aiming for an annual volume of 50,000 vehicles.” The fleet market is an important target group in this respect. “When we talk to companies, we find that Astara as a group offers certain advantages. We used to approach customers by brand. Now the customer has one contact person for six brands We find that clients develop a much closer relationship with their account manager this way and that the process is simplified and accelerated as a result.” With Astara, you have access to a huge range of templates. “We have not one, but six brands of passenger cars and vans in our portfolio which are very complementary,” says Kaat Van Severen. Each brand has its own strengths. “For example, MG’s mission is to make electric driving accessible to everyone. As an electric station wagon, the MG5 Electric is unique in the market. At the Brussels Motor Show, we will launch the more compact MG4 Electric , which is very competitively priced.” Hyundai offers a long electric range (up to 507 km) with the IONIQ 5 SUV and will soon launch the very sleek IONIQ 6, which boasts more than 610 km of range (WLTP standard) . “We must not forget plug-in hybrid vehicles either, which are still very interesting today. For example, the TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid is very successful on the fleet market”, emphasizes Kaat Van Severen. find a 100% electric variant of the Korando, the e-Motion. “This SUV, beautiful and spacious, keeps its promises. At the level of Asian brands, we find that the autonomy announced, which reaches 474 km on this model, is very reliable. “On the fleet market, Suzuki is mainly positioned in the segment of hybrid vehicles (rechargeable). “Many motorists drive a lot of miles, but are not yet ready for a fully electric car. The Suzuki Swace self-charging hybrid, an affordable and spacious station wagon, is the perfect solution. Together with the Across SUV, Suzuki also offers a rechargeable plug-in hybrid vehicle.” The Japanese Isuzu, meanwhile, is rather targeting a niche segment with its D-Max pick-up. “We are interested, for example, in construction companies, veterinarians, freelancers or municipalities located in wooded areas”, explains Kaat Van Severen. “The D-Max is a robust premium product. “Maxus is a relatively young manufacturer that stands out for its electric commercial vehicles. “The eDeliver 3 is a compact electric van that is very successful with municipalities or parcel delivery services. Our customer Andy, a beverage delivery service that makes home deliveries with the eDeliver 3, is a excellent example. Maxus also offers a larger electric van, the eDeliver 9 and will present an electric pick-up, the T90 EV, at the Brussels Auto Show. “Astara still has a lot of plans. Thus, a subscription service is planned for the near future. “We notice that certain sectors sometimes need additional vehicles, for example during the Christmas period. Today, everyone has online subscriptions to services such as Netflix, Spotify or HelloFresh. We also want to highlight places the same type of offer for cars, both for individuals and for fleet customers.” Astara also offers many products on the periphery of the car: from classic insurance and financing to additional services and materials such as charging stations. In the future, we will also be offering household batteries or, who knows, photovoltaic panels. Finally, Astara plans to add brands over time. “Thanks to our organization and our structure, it is easy to attract additional brands, which is all the more advantageous for the fleet customer”, concludes Kaat Van Severen.