Kaya ba? Omoda, Jaecoo Philippines targets at least 20 dealers by end-2023

A new car brand, however good it may be, can sink or swim depending on how many dealerships it has.

You might have the best offerings and superb aftersales. But if there’s nowhere to buy and service your cars, then it’s all over.

Omoda and Jaecoo Philippines intends to maximize its presence in the country by opening a considerable number of dealerships by the end of 2023.

“At this moment, the potential target is at least 20 dealers,” said company country director Marco Chen at a media preview event in Pasig City.

“We have not been constructing dealers from zero – this takes a long time,” he added. “We have some potential partners under negotiation. We want to convert some existing dealers. This way, we can quickly build our dealer network.”

Q4 2023 launch

Omoda and Jaecoo, both car brands that are affiliated with the Chery group in China, plan to officially launch in the Philippines as early as October 2023.

Omoda is targeted at younger, tech-oriented car buyers, while Jaecoo is more focused on luxury offerings with off-road capabilities. Chen said the brands will focus heavily on “new energy” like hybrids and battery-electric vehicles.

Chen added that showrooms will be configured similarly to how Jaguar and Land Rover share one dealership.

“Left side will be Omoda, right side will be Jaecoo,” he told AutoFun Philippines in an exclusive interview.

“In China, we have a joint venture with Jaguar and Land Rover,” Chen added. “We kind of learned from them.”

Emission testing needed

Chen also told AutoFun Philippines that the company’s initial lineup includes a plug-in hybrid version of the Jaecoo 7 luxury crossover and possibly a mild-hybrid version of the Omoda 5 crossover.

The Omoda 5 is expected to start under ₱1.5 million for the non-hybrid model, while the Jaecoo 7 should cost under ₱3 million.

Chen also said at the preview event that all models are designed for the global market, so adapting these for the Philippines will not be difficult.

“This car meets the homologation standards in Australia, Latin America and Southeast Asia,” he said. “The Philippine government is asking for an emission test, so we are quite confident about the homologation standards.”

Sample units will be submitted to the government after the Omoda and Jaecoo Philippines subsidiary is set up by August 2023.

Do you think the fledgling Chinese brands can set up a solid dealer network by the end of the year?

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