Minister wants national car project to start small

Industry Minister MS Hidayat wants the potential developers of a national car (Mobnas) to think small.

“It is better to make a national car with a 700-cc engine first,” Hidayat said on Tuesday as quoted by antaranews.com.

Indonesian automakers would have to compete with famous international brands if they rushed to introduce 1,500-cc vehicle to the domestic market, Hidayat added.

Gradually introducing cars with larger engines would allow developers to carve their own niche in the local market and avoid competition with established international brands, he said.

Vocational high school students in Surakarta, Central Java, stimulated talk of developing a national car after they manufactured a prototype Kiat Esemka car with a 1,500-cc engine. (yps/mtq)