We Are Tomodachi Summer 2017

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11effort between the Italian and the American sides of FCA, and it became a major hit in Japan. For the Japanese market, FCA not only changed the steering wheel of the Renegade to the right, but also closely analyzed the various demands of Japanese consumers and reflected them in the vehicle. The Jeep Renegade is a success story born out of these efforts, made possible by the free movement of people, goods and services together with international networks of production and distribution. FCA Japan’s Jeep brand grew 33.9% in 2016 compared to the previous year in terms of the number of newly-registered vehicles, and the Renegade was the driving force behind this success.Häggström continued to explain, “One of the important things when selling a car is how you position your product. We’ve found that Japanese consumers, when it comes to selecting an imported car, are surprisingly familiar with the brand’s history and background, and they’re seeking unique characteristics that do not exist in domestic cars. Also, consumers in Japan put enormous attention on hardware (quality) and software (service).”To win over these Japanese consumers, FCA Japan operates a dealer network of over 180 shops throughout Japan. In addition, the company has established a training center in Japan for educating its dealers, staff members and mechanics in order to boost service and skills. These various efforts have been the key to establishing and maintaining a good relationship with both customers and local dealers.The success of this series of measures yielded record-high results in 2016, with the company’s vehicle sales in Japan exceeding 20,000 units.FCA Japan continues to grow as a foreign automobile company in Japan. The company, with its deep roots in both Italy and the United States, is led by a Swedish CEO who is thoroughly familiar with the Japanese market and consumers. When we pointed out this fact to Häggström, he smiled and replied, “One of the Abarth models that we sell is manufactured in Hiroshima. So yes, FCA is a truly global car company.” When we then asked him about the future prospects of the company in Japan, he enthusiastically replied, “We intend to achieve 30,000 units in car sales by 2019 and we are excited about the prospects of Japan!”The rapid advance of FCA Japan is expected to continue as the company fully takes advantage of the free trade, its global production, and its local and international human resources.Pontus HäggströmPresident and CEO of FCA JapanBorn in Sweden. In 2001, he served with General Motors Asia Pacific (Japan) Ltd. (currently General Motors Japan Limited) as Brand Director for Saab and Cadillac. In 2005, he successively served General Motors Europe (Germany) as Export Director for Saab. In 2008, he was appointed President & CEO of Fiat Group Automobiles Japan Ltd. (currently FCA Japan Ltd.). He has held his current position since 2012.FCA Japan closely supports its dealers. The company also puts emphasis on developing the skills of mechanics at each dealer through measures such as commendation systems.