JEDDAH – Porsche Centres Saudi Arabia, Samaco Automotive, ended 2012 in high note with record new car deliveries. The company sold more sports cars during the last 12 months at 1,064 units, an increase of more than 32 percent compared to last year's 781 vehicles sold. Sherein Nassef, General Manager of Porsche Centres Saudi Arabia, noted that 2012 marked the first time that Porsche has overcome the 1,000-unit threshold in the Kingdom. In retrospect, Nassef said “we look back at a very positive business performance during the last 12 months and are grateful for the trust and confidence our customers have in our products and organization.” He also attributed the company's strong sales performance to robust Saudi economy coupled with ongoing massive infrastructure developments both in retail and other non-oil industrial sectors which propelled the propensity of customers, particularly the younger generation, to be more mobile in striving to enjoy life. He further said the opening of Porsche showrooms in Al-Khobar and Riyadh – which provided customers convenient, hassle free luxury automobile purchase experience – accelerated Porsche's performance to a higher ground. “SAMACO's well-diversified business operations reflected in different products and services that our group delivers to its customers further speed up the sales tempo,” Nassef intimated. Among the top sellers in the Porsche lineup in 2012 is Cayenne which has proven to be extremely popular with Saudi clientele. In 2012, Porsche sold 660 vehicles of its SUV models in the Kingdom, representing an increase of almost 80 percent over the previous year of only 368 new cars sold. “The Porsche Cayenne occupies a leading position among premium SUVs in Saudi Arabia and is our bestseller by far. The range is responsible for 62 percent of the model share, followed by Panamera with almost 30 percent. We look forward to the first units of the new Cayenne Turbo S arriving soon through which we will increase the attractiveness of our SUV range by yet another notch,” Nassef added. Moreover, the new Cayenne Turbo S, which is the latest and fastest addition to the Cayenne family, raises the automotive bar. Featuring a 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine which produces 550 horsepower, the amazing Cayenne Turbo S is absolutely a head turner. What's more, the Porsche Panamera, the brand's four-seater Gran Turismo, has been the second most important model for the Saudi market. Also in its third year, sales have remained high in 2011, with 309 vehicles sold against 319 in the preceding year. – SG
