Inchcape Philippines, a joint venture between Inchcape, the leading global automotive distributor, and CATS Group of Companies, a fast-growing Filipino-owned distributor of luxury automotive brands, boosted its portfolio with the addition of Chinese vehicles “Changan”.
This developed following an announcement Thursday, Aug. 24, by Changan International Corporation that Inchcape has been appointed as its distributor in the Philippines.
Based on the statement, the deal will expand Inchcape Philippines’ distribution footprint in the country and builds 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.
Some of Inchcape distributorship brands in the country include Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep.
The 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.
Tom Yin, Vice General Manager, Changan International Corporation, commented, “With global partnerships firmly embedded in Changan’s history, this agreement with Inchcape is a landmark step in Changan’s mission to pioneer auto culture and benefit human life. 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. 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.”
For his part, Alex Hammett, Inchcape Managing Director, South Asia & Pacific, said they are pleased to join hands with Changan, a leading OEM to distribute their extensive and high-quality vehicle portfolio in the Philippines.
“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,” Hammett 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 has 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, the statement concluded.