Franchise change in the automotive industry: Chinese brand Forthing moves from UMI to Auto Chen
The Auto Chen company of the Belilius family has received the official franchise for the import and marketing in Israel of the Chinese car brand Forthing from Dongfeng, which was held until now by the UMI group.
The Auto Chen company of the Belilius family has received the official franchise for the import and marketing of the Chinese car brand Forthing in Israel. The franchise was previously held by the UMI group. The Forthing car brand is part of Dongfeng Motor.
Sales of the brand in Israel have so far focused exclusively on electric models, utilizing small-series certification with an import limit of 400 vehicles per year. Sales performance in the past year was marginal, focusing primarily on "zero kilometer" models offered with significant discounts. However, the Dongfeng group has recently been carrying out a strategic reorganization in Europe, within the framework of which new plug-in hybrid models are expected to arrive on the market.
Auto Chen stated:
"This is a first move within the framework of Auto Chen's growth strategy, intended to expand our activity in the industry and strengthen our position in the coming years as an automotive group that offers customers a wide range of solutions from different brands across many segments."
According to the company's announcement, Auto Chen will begin marketing Forthing models in Israel in the coming months. The launch will feature new models not previously sold in Israel, arriving with full European certification, which will expand the company's activity into new segments, primarily the SUV category.
In addition to expanding the product portfolio, the move is expected to support the continued growth of Auto Chen's retail operations. This will include an expansion of the showroom network as part of the preparations to host the brand and provide broader service to customers across the country.
No response was received from the UMI group.
