The ‘Detroit of the Philippines’ has just been infused with German flavor

Volkswagen Santa Rosa dealership, along the accessible automotive row of the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Highway, is set to reach out to customers residing in the progressive Calabarzon economic growth corridor.

SANTA Rosa, Laguna—“Aside from it being part of the so-called Detroit of the Philippines because all the factories of the car manufacturers are here, the Santa Rosa Autoplex where we are is literally the crossroads of Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, Greenfield, and Nuvali. So we’re right in the middle of all the developments. And with the Cavitex (Cavite Expressway), Calax (Cavite-Laguna Expressway), SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) tollways, Laguna is the fastest-growing province in the Philippines.”

This was how Lica Auto Group president Felix Limcaoco III described the reason and motivation his group established the Volkswagen Santa Rosa dealership, which held its inauguration August 16.

Volkswagen Santa Rosa—the first established VW dealership in Southern Luzon—was inaugurated under the auspices of Volkswagen Philippines, in partnership with the Lica Auto Group. It is the 8th Volkswagen Philippines’ dealership since it first officially started operations in 2013.

“Our first Volkswagen dealership takes the Lica Auto Group to a position of dominance in the auto industry in the southern Luzon area. At the same time, Volkswagen Santa Rosa will be more accessible to buyers and owners in the region,” said Limcaoco in his opening remarks.

Felipe Estrella, Volkswagen Philippines president, said that the location is “right at the very heart of Calabarzon, the region’s most vibrant socio-economic growth area.”

“We see tremendous opportunities to grow our customer base here, while contributing our share to the region’s economic development. Establishing our 8th Volkswagen dealership in the country, at the economic epicenter of a developing phenomenon that is the Calabarzon area, was a very easy decision to make. And in collaboration with the Lica Auto Group, we are able to establish our presence at the soonest possible time in this very exciting market. Now the region’s residents and enterprises will have more access to the German engineering, build quality, and driving experience of Volkswagen automobiles and the accompanying Volkswagen aftersales services and support,” said Estrella.

This is not the first European brand for Lica Auto Group, which has 50 years of operating diverse businesses with 46 full dealerships and 19 satellite showrooms across Metro Manila and in the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon areas.

“Volkswagen is not the typical European brand that is all high-end. VW is the people’s car. ’Volks’ for people and ’wagen’ means car. So it’s really supposed to be the mass market. Since VW is manufactured globally, the cars have become affordable. It might become a truly people’s car in the Philippines. (It will be a brand) not just for people who can afford (but bring) products for everyone. That’s the dream,” said Limcaoco.

Symbolic token of partnership was presented by Lica Auto Group (LAG) President Felix Limcaoco III (third from right) to Volkswagen PH President Felipe Estrella (second from left) during the inauguration program. Also in photo are, from left, Volkswagen PH Chief Operating Adviser Klaus Schadewald, LAG EVP/COO Tey Sornet and Volkswagen Santa Rosa GM Manager Jon Gutierrez.

The Lica Auto Group is a key enterprise of the Manila-based Lica Group that traces its roots in Calabarzon-based real estate, sugar plantations and banking. The Lica Group, which counts over 50 years of operations, is one of the leading diversified business groups in the Philippines. the Lica Auto Group holding company is among the largest automotive sales and businesses in the country. Involved in new and used-car dealerships, rent-a-car, leasing, arts and equipment distribution and service centre stores.

The Volkswagen Santa Rosa dealership operates under the Lica Auto Group’s Strasbourg Auto Corporation, which will showcase and offer Volkswagen’s full product roster: The Santana, Santana GTS, Lavida and Lamando.

With multiple brands that Lica Auto Group manages, Limcaco said that it all boils down to choice for customers.

“All our brands are competing, but without choice, what rights do consumers have?” said Limcaoco.

Car ownership experience just gets better with Volkswagen Santa Rosa’s dedicated sales and aftersales team.

VW Santa Rosa senior vice president/chief operating officer Tey Sornet told Inquirer Motoring that the market projection would be 25 units per month, “but in the long run, it could be 50 units per month.”

He added that the market includes buyer-rich areas Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas, which makes the Lica group “the equivalent of the Laus Group of the north, while Ayala Automotive is in NCR and Cebu.”

Aside from the VW brand, Autoplex in Santa Rosa Laguna offers multiple brands.