Inchcape tapped to market Changan vehicles in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Inchcape Philippines, a joint venture between global automotive distributor Inchcape and the CATS Group of Companies, has been appointed as the official distributor of China’s Changan International Corp.’s vehicles in the country.

In a statement, the company said its appointment is part of the global automotive distributor’s partnership with Changan.

“This partnership will leverage the strengths of both parties, including Changan’s advanced research and development capability, competitive products, superior services and supply chain, and Inchcape’s local market insight, rich experience of distribution and retailing, and advanced digital capabilities in delivering excellent customer experiences,” the company said in a statement yesterday.

“We are pleased to join hands with Changan, a leading OEM to distribute their extensive and high-quality vehicle portfolio in the Philippines,” said Alex Hammett, Inchcape managing director for South Asia & Pacific.

“This is an exciting milestone for us as we see strong growth potential in the Philippines and opportunities for shared success with Changan. This is a great example of our strategy in action, accelerating the performance of our mobility company partners, and Inchcape being the automotive distributor of choice,” he said.

Inchcape Philippines said the deal would expand its distribution footprint in the country and build on Inchcape’s well-established and growing presence within the Asia-Pacific region.

“From August 2023, Inchcape Philippines will operate the distributorship across over 25 Changan dealerships and sales outlets in the country,” the company said.

The distributorship will cover a fleet of Changan products such as the Alsvin Sedan, the CS35 Plus compact crossover, CS55 Plus compact SUV, and premium models of UNI-T and UNI-K.

“Changan’s continued investments in new energy vehicle platforms also have the potential to expand Inchcape’s electric vehicle (EV) offering while Changan will enjoy the benefits of Inchcape’s strong track record of successful OEM market entries and industry-leading capabilities for data, digital, and technology services,” Inchcape Philippines said.

Changan International Corp. vice general manager Tom Yin said the agreement with Inchcape is a landmark step in Changan’s mission to pioneer auto culture and benefit human life, noting that global partnerships are firmly embedded in the company’s history.

“In charting the future of mobility, Changan is focused on a new-energy strategy which counts the completion of three major new special energy platforms and the complete electrification of all products among its goals,” Yin said.

“Combined with Inchcape’s excellence in market expansion and distribution, it is our shared ambition that more Filipinos enjoy the lasting safety that Changan automobile can provide,” he said.

Earlier this month, Inchcape formalized its joint venture with the CATS Group of Companies, signalling its official entry into the Philippine market.

Under the deal, which was first announced in January, Inchape acquired a controlling 60 percent stake in luxury vehicle distributor CATS. The remaining 40 percent is owned by CATS’ founders, the Ang family.