Avis Car Rental in Windhoek will eventually have 60 of these capable vehicles in its rental fleet.

General Manager of Avis in Namibia, Oliver Majewski, says 30 are already in operation and a further 30 will be delivered over the next few months. “The demand has come mainly from tourists accustomed to the driveability and safety of these all-wheel drive vehicles. In addition, our own assessment shows that we will be able to bring greater cost efficiencies to our operation through the reduction of damage on the one hand and greater durability on the other.”

Majewski says the decision was also influenced by his exposure to Subaru vehicles in Botswana where he attended a Customer Day in the bush. “The Forester's ability to handle gravel roads was impressive. There is a big difference between handling snow and wet conditions in Europe and elsewhere, compared to our roads here. Customers are often over-confident and we need to put them in vehicles that provide the maximum safety for them as well as keeping our fleet's damage costs down.”

Dealer Principal and owner of Subaru Windhoek, Willem Hugo, said the deal will assist in heightening the Subaru profile in the country for the marque.

“We also now have the advantage that if someone really wants to test a Forester for a couple of days - over and above our own offered test drives - they can rent one and go on a trip.”

Managing Director of Subaru Southern Africa, Teresita van Gaalen, says the deal is indicative of Subaru's increasing footprint in sub-Saharan Africa. “The Subaruship in Windhoek was established recently and this is a welcome development. We are looking forward to the same success in Botswana because our vehicles really are tailor-made for Africa's road and weather conditions.”

Subaru Southern Africa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barloworld Automotive and is represented by 21 dealerships in southern Africa. It imports, distributes and markets Subaru models such as Tribeca, Impreza, Legacy, Forester and Outback models and it's one of the fastest growing brands in the country.

[20 Apr 2008 13:34]

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