Cruze my heart
MANILA, Philippines – We got to be the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet cars and parts in the Philippines in Oct. 2009,” said lawyer Albert Arcilla, The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI) managing director and chief operating officer. “We did a study before we signed on — and we believed that Chevrolet is a strong brand and would do well here in the country.”
Arcilla shared that the higher-end Chevrolet cars are quite popular in the country and so he felt that it would be easy for the market to accept and come to love the compact Chevrolet cars as well.
But, knowing how stiff the competition is in the compact car segment, Arcilla knew that there was a need to “put a face” to the brand.
The first Chevrolet that TCCCI launched in March this year was the Chevorlet Cruze; and for the face, they chose Ryan Agoncillo.
“We wanted to communicate to a larger segment of the market and we felt that putting a face that speaks for the brand might be easier than to just keep on talking about the car,” added Arcilla. “Buying a car is an emotional decision for Pinoys. Matter of fact, there are many people I know who give names to their cars and even remember their cars’ anniversaries.”
The choice of Ryan Agoncillo is what the company is proud of. It only took one meeting with Ryan for him to give them his yes to be the brand ambassador of Chevrolet in the country.
Arcilla shared that what was even more perfect was that Ryan espoused the same values as TCCCI; and they knew that in him they would have the perfect ambassador.
“We wanted to reignite the passion for Chevrolet. When a brand has a nickname like Chevy, it must mean that the brand is like a true friend,” quipped Arcilla. “Chevy has been there for 100 years, but for a certain time it lost its luster in the market.”
“A Cruze for every Juan dela Cruz” is how Arcilla likes to position the brand.
Ryan is just the person to fit the bill. He appears daily on Eat Bulaga; he is an actor; he is a popular TV show host; and best of all he has a passion for cars.
“What better way to bring back the love for the Chevy than through a familiar face in the country?” asks Arcilla. “Ryan is familiar and respected. He is also a loving husband and a great dad. These are the values that every Juan dela Cruz loves.”
Being a car enthusiast, I’ve been exposed to var-ious car brands and this has elevated my knowledge and experience with a host of vehicles in the market,” said Ryan. “For many years, I’ve always known that Chevrolet belonged to a class where its beauty and performance should not only be appreciated from afar but rather enjoyed, relied on and loved.”
Ryan shared that he continues to be amazed by the handling of this car on any road — with little to no bump felt when faced with rough roads and unexpected humps. The safety features such as the dual airbags are very important to him.
With a growing family, and doing lots of driving knowing that they are all safe, makes the car more worthwhile. The Chevy Cruze new global design hopes to raise the bar higher in its market segment.
Over dinner I asked Ryan what are the 10 things he loves about his family, how he values his cars and the role the Chevy Cruze has in his life. Here’s what he had to say:
10) I believe in the Chevrolet brand because I have had an affinity for cars for the longest time. And, when I was growing up we had a few Chevy cars at home.
9) All my cars are black. I love the color black and I love dressing up my cars.
Cruze I love you: The Chevrolet Cruz is built with the driver in mind. It is equipped with a 1.8-liter engine. It is a great looker. Its interiors are built to keep the driver and pas-sengers close to each other and from behind you will love it even more. 8) I got to test drive the Chevy Cruze for three months and I discovered that it is very reliable and very modern.
7) If the Chevy Cruze were a woman I would describe her as being beautiful, stable and very reliable. Beautiful and reliable don’t always go hand in hand — but with the Chevy the two combine perfectly together.
When you choose a woman for a partner in life, you need to choose well — just like I did.
6) Now that the Cruze is at home, I have had to “borrow” the Chevy from Juday. She enjoys driving it, that’s for sure. It is an everyday car for us already.
5) It is the first four-door sedan I have actually owned.
When I was growing up the Chevy cars we owned were SUVs.
I had to test drive the Cruze for three months and really think about it and get a feel for the car before I agreed that it was a car that I could endorse.
4) The Chevy Cruze is beautiful. Its lines are very different — not like the common everyday EDSA fare. I am particular about that. I may not have the most expensive cars, but I want them to look beautiful and different. It is something I value.
3) The Cruze is rock solid. I am used to having big cars and having a compact sedan is something new for me. I have to like what I drive.
I tested the Cruz and I found it very stable. It is pretty roomy, too. When I am tired at work I like to lie in the car with a couple of pillows, and I can do that on the back seat of the Cruze.
2) It is a family sort of car. It feels like I am in a commercial whenever I drive it because everyone likes to ride with me.
When I drive no one can touch the radio — except my daughter.
1) I spend quality time with my Cruze. It’s funny that when I was shown what the ad for the Cruze would be like I thought that someone had been spying on me at home. I really have to be pried away from the car at the end of the day. In the past it was by my mom and now, by my wife.
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Chevrolet Philippines is at the fifth floor, ALCO Building, 391 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, 1209 Makati City. Chevrolet has 12 dealers in the country Chevrolet Alabang, Chevrolet Makati, Chevrolet Pasig, Chevrolet Quezon Avenue, Chevrolet Shaw, Chevrolet Bacolod, Chevrolet Cebu, Chevrolet Dagupan, Chevrolet Davao, Chevrolet Iloilo, Chevrolet Laguna, Chevrolet Pampanga.
For information, call 898-1791, 899-0517, 899-5164 local 532 and e-mail bel.laureola@ccc-chevrolet.ph.
