China’s Maxus enters Philippines auto market

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese automotive brand Maxus, the newest addition to the Ayala Group’s automotive portfolio, targets to sell 500 to 600 units this year and triple sales by next year with the launch of its offerings in the commercial vehicle (CV) segment.

“We have a modest target this year because there are only six months remaining. We’re looking about 500 to 600 units but we plan to double or triple that by next year with these new product offerings,” Maxus Philippines general manager Reginald See told reporters during the brand’s launch.

As the Philippine automotive market is dominated by Japanese brands and there is negative perception on Chinese-made vehicles, he said Maxus Philippines would be actively promoting its vehicles.

“I think the perception of Chinese-made vehicles, we really need to counter that. Most of the gadgets, shoes, even clothes are all made in China. But the quality is getting higher and higher so, we’re banking on that. If we can look at the vehicles, these are not poor quality vehicles. These are very good quality vehicles,” he said.

Maxus is entering the Philippine market at a time when the local automotive industry has yet to recover from a sales slump following the implementation of higher taxes on vehicles under the government’s tax reform program last year.

Despite this, See said Maxus Philippines is launching in the country at an opportune time as it believes its products could compete in the market.

For its entry in the local automotive market, Maxus Philippines would be offering two models first, the G10 multi-purpose vehicle and the V80 van.

The nine-seater G10, which is Maxus Philippines’ flagship model, is powered by a Euro 4 1.9-liter turbo diesel with a six-speed automatic transmission producing 150 Ps of power and torque of 350 Nm.

G10 is being offered at an introductory price of P1.680 million.

Meanwhile, the V80 is available in three variants: Comfort, Flex and Transport.

The V80 Comfort variant is a 13-seater van targeted for families or for businesses particularly those providing school bus service or tourist or passenger shuttle service. It has a 2.5-liter turbo diesel engine with a power output of 136 Ps and 330Nm of torque, and comes in six-speed manual transmission and retails for P1.570 million.

Seen to cater to Filipino small and medium enterprises, the V80 Flex variant is a three-seater cargo van with a spacious 6.9 cubic meter cargo space and loading capacity of 1,100 kilograms, as well as dual swing rear door for easy access. It has a price tag of P1.190 million.

Maxus Philippines is also offering the V80 Transport variant which has an 18-seat passenger capacity, ideal for shuttle service business and priced at P1.288 million.

See said Maxus Philippines chose the G10 and V80 as the first two models to be sold in the country as it sees opportunity in the CV segment.

He said the vehicles are available at Maxus Philippines’ showroom and after-sales service facility in Greenfield District in Mandaluyong City.

To be able to reach more customers, he said Maxus Philippines is set to open three new dealerships within the year at ASEANA Manila Bay area in Parañaque, Quezon Avenue in Quezon City and Cebu in the Visayas region.

“Soon, we will also be appointing other dealers across the country,” he said.

Apart from Maxus Philippines, other brands in Ayala’s automotive portfolio are Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Kia and KTM.