Chery Auto brand returns to the Philippines

FOTON Philippines distributor and manufacturer United Asia Auto Group Inc. (UAAGI) unveils today its second Chinese automotive brand — Chery Auto.

After taking the FOTON brand, which focuses more on commercial vehicles, to the No. 9 position in Philippine sales — and beating more established brands in the process — ISO-certified UAAGI is ideally positioned to repeat the achievement for a brand that offers more mainstream models. Chery Auto makes passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs, which are the fastest growing segments in the Philippines today.

This will not be the first time the Chery brand will be brought to the Philippines. The initial attempt in 2007 marked the first time for a Chinese automaker to enter the local market, which as sales figures go, was not prepared for a China-based brand at the time. The intervening years, however, and 2019 in particular, saw a resurgence of Chinese automakers entering the local market. Close to half a dozen China auto brands have entered the Philippine market in the last 12 months.

“The time is ripe for us to bring in a second automotive brand, and we are convinced that Chery Auto now has the right mix of design, features, technology, and pricing in its product line to make a strong impact on the Philippine market,” said UAAGI president Rommel Sytin who will lead today’s official media launch at The Tent at Solaire in Pasay City.

“History and experience are the best teachers, and we have learned a lot from FOTON’s success in the Philippine market as well as where previous efforts to market Chery have failed — and we have taken all that to heart,” shared Sytin.

The lineup of Chery models that will mark the initial reentry to the Philippine market will be composed of an all-crossover range. These are the Tiggo 2, Tiggo 5X, Tiggo 7, and the 7-seater Tiggo 8. All models are powered by modern 1.5-liter inline-4 fuel-injected DOHC 16-valve Euro 5-compliant petrol engines (turbocharged for the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8) and mated to 5-speed manual transmissions or 6-speed automatics.

All models are made in Chery’s world-class state-of-the-art fully robotized plants in Wuhu, China. All Chery models have contemporary styling and modern comfort, convenience and safety features, while the higher end models boast luxury car features like 10″ UHD touchscreen displays, foot-sensing automatic power tailgates, automatic LED headlamps, LED taillamps, cruise control, Smart Key Entry System, 6-way power-adjustable seats, LCD instrument panel, panoramic sunroof, leather seats, 18” alloy wheels, and much more. For safety, Chery automobiles feature six airbags, front and rear radar-based driving aids, and a full suite of electronic driver-assist systems.

The Chery brand sold over 750,000 units last year, a growth of 11 percent compared to the previous year. Chery has been China’s biggest exporter of passenger cars in the last 16 years. Chery has sold over 7.2 million vehicles in over 80 countries. It is also a leading manufacturer of hybrid and full electric vehicles, not just in China, but in the world.

“We are excited to bring in Chery. The new cars possess all the brand values Filipinos now look for and we are convinced that the local market will warmly receive these latest models,” Sytin added.

To emphasize their confidence in the vehicles, Chery Auto Philippines is offering an industry-leading 10-Year/1 Million-km Powertrain Warranty on top of a 5-Year General Vehicle Warranty. And to sweeten the purchase, Chery Auto Philippines is offering a 3-year FREE Preventive Maintenance Service (PMS) to all buyers of any Tiggo model.

Prices for the new models start at P695,000 for the Tiggo 2, P818,000 for the Tiggo 5X, P1,195,000 for the Tiggo 7, and P1,280,000 for the seven-seater Tiggo 8.

The Chery dealership and service network will be announced soon. For more info, visit Chery Auto Philippines’ Facebook and Instagram pages on CheryAutoPhilippines.