All-new Staria and Tucson coming soon
Hyundai passenger cars in the Philippines will now be under a new distributor, Hyundai Motor Philippines, Inc. (HMPH). HMPH officially takes the reigns starting July 1, 2022, led by its new president, Lee Dong Wook.
The new management recently met with select members of the press to discuss its plan for the coming months.
Under the new distributor, HMPH hopes to revitalize its operations in the Philippines under two key pillars: to improve customer satisfaction and service.
With this new arrangement, it will take over the distribution of Hyundai passenger cars in the market, while its previous distributor, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), will continue distributing the brand’s commercial vehicles (trucks and buses). The two entities will be operating separately.
HMPH has a long road ahead, with a Filipino managing director yet to be appointed, while its head office will be based in Bonifacio Global City.
Nonetheless, now under the direct supervision of its headquarters in Korea, HMPH hopes to resolve many issues in the past, including unit allocation and supply.
New models coming
Easily the most exciting news of all is the arrival of highly-anticipated new models hoped to revitalize the lineup and make the Hyundai brand competitive once again.
Hyundai hopes to officially launch its new generation vehicles, led by models like the all-new Tucson, the Staria van, Creta small SUV, Santa Fe, and Palisade. These new models are all promised to be launched in July. In addition, Hyundai is looking to bring another new small MPV that is hoped to compete against the Mitsubishi Xpander and Toyota Avanza.
In order to keep the prices of these vehicles competitive, HMPH will be sourcing them from Korea and Indonesia. Vehicles built in China and India are still under evaluation. This means Hyundai’s new Casper small SUV (sold in India) might not see our shores any time soon.
Of course, not all the current vehicles will be retained as the China-sourced Reina entry-level sedan may be removed from the lineup due to various issues sourcing the vehicle.
Another key part of Hyundai’s plan is talks with its existing dealers. HMPH says 39 dealerships have already expressed interest to work with the new distributor. It hopes to have as many as 44 operating by the end of the year.
Further down the line
HMPH’s upcoming lineup is hoped to create some much-needed buzz around the brand. However, it’s still tepid with regards to plans further down the line.
HMPH hopes to focus on revitalizing the brand and network first. Key to this is making the vehicles more accessible. It hopes to keep prices competitive while still offering desirable variants with a high standard of specifications. This is hoped to reduce the temptation to acquire vehicles through the grey market.
In addition, HMPH is looking to establish a new mobility department whose aim is to offer new ways to acquire a vehicle. This includes services similar to what Toyota is offering, such as leasing plans or a subscription service for clients to be able to acquire their desired Hyundai vehicle.
For now, HMPH has not set any concrete plans regarding offering the Hyundai group’s other brands. There is no current plan to offer the N performance line of models or Genesis brand.
Further down the line, HMPH also hopes to make the transition to greener modes of transport. While Hyundai has a number of hybrid models already, HMPH plans to go straight to its electric offerings, such as the Ioniq 5. Of course, this will still depend on current legislation regarding such vehicles and the current infrastructure available.
More announcements soon
HMPH will bring more news about the Hyundai brand in the coming days. Much of this will focus on the new models coming in July.