Recent rumblings in the automotive industry talk about Chinese brands changing management hands. And from what we've heard, there will be a few. But why do the principals feel the sudden need to come in lock, stock, and barrel to take over the Filipino-run local distributorships? Haven't they done enough to promote the brand? Did the distributors fall short of sales targets? Or have the distributors failed in the perception game despite the uptick in Chinese-made cars' build, tech and quality in

Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), the local distributor of Geely vehicles in the Philippines, has awarding of the grand prize winner of the “Dream Ride Like No Other” car promo in partnership with Araneta City with a brand new Geely Okavango Urban Plus. Mary Anne Dela Vega, from Project 4, Quezon City, emerged as the lucky recipient of the top-of-the-line variant of Geely’s 7-seater SUV. The Geely Okavango offers customers a spacious and versatile interior. It also offers buyers a premium interi

The styling looks familiar, right? The Weiao BOMA EV, China's latest mini electric vehicle (EV), was launched recently and features an exterior design similar to a certain Toyota luxury van. It has three variants, each offering something unique to the model lineup. Weiao is a new EV brand under the Hongri Electric Vehicle Group, with BOMA EV being manufactured by ZX Auto. ZX Auto is a long-time player in the Chinese automotive market, specializing in building passenger cars, commercial vehicles

The current generation of the Toyota Alphard is getting long in the tooth as it has been on the market for about eight years. Its age marks the model as a prime candidate for a replacement. Our colleagues at Wapcar Malaysia reported that a new generation of the Toyota minivan might be coming as soon as May 2023, with renders popping up claiming to be close to the production version. While we take this information with a grain of salt as these are just renders, they give us a general idea of what

Ford Philippines has solidified its position as one of the country's leading automotive brands thanks to its solid retail performance in 2022. The Blue Oval brand grew its full-year retail sales by 24% in 2022, with 24,710 units sold, led by its three best-selling vehicles - the Ford Ranger, the Ford Everest, and the Ford Territory. Ford Ranger - Still a best seller The Ranger was the top-selling Ford vehicle in 2022, with sales also rising by 24%, with 11,396 units sold. This makes the nameplat

French carmaker Peugeot has been in the Philippines for more than 15 years, but it now seems to be gaining traction under its new distributor Astara. The company said in a December 2022 press statement that it posted a 297-percent growth in sales from November 2021 to November 2022, which it called a record figure for the brand. “The phenomenal growth is attributable to the huge customer demand for its four new nameplates: the PEUGEOT 2008 SUV, PEUGEOT 3008 SUV, PEUGEOT 5008 SUV, and the PEUGEOT