Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian automobile market is estimated to grow by three to five percent in 2012 after a 17 percent increase in 2011, Astra Daihatsu Motor President Director Sudirman MR, said here Thursday.

The estimate was made after considering two factors, namely the European crisis that had an impact on liquidity, and gasoline restriction and conversion in April 2012.

"We have several considerations, especially the effect of gasoline restriction and conversion which is still unclear and we will feel the impact after the policy has been applied," Sudirman said.

In 2011, the Indonesian automobile market increased 17 percent with 894,180 cars sold, compared to 764,710 in 2010.

Retail sales also increased 20 percent to 890,569 units from the previous year`s 745,390 units, he said.

Daihatsu sales in 2011 had also increased by 18 percent to 139,544 units compared to the previous year`s 118,590 units.

"By exceeding Daihatsu`s wholesales targeted at 125 thousand units in 2011, the company was the second largest in national car sales," Sudirman said.

Largest contributors to Daihatsu sales in 2011 are mini MPV Xenia with 67,292 units, or 49 percent.

Meanwhile, the Industry Ministry`s director general of high-tech priority industries Budi Darmadi on the same occasion made similar statements of production figures ranging from 920 to 930 thousand units, or 10 percent.

(SYS/A050/S012)

Editor: Suryanto
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