During the Philippine-China (Chongqing) Trade and Investment Forum organized by the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry held at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City on September 16, 2019, Kingling Motors Philippines Inc. signed an agreement with Qingling Motors Co., Ltd. of China to distribute and market Qingling Isuzu light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles in the country.
A fleet of Qingling Isuzu trucks was displayed at the parking area adjacent to Buffet 101 across the boulevard from the Conrad Hotel as a “soft launch” of the venture.
On display were Qingling Isuzu LEGA 100P with FB body, MEGA 100P aluminum van and mini dump truck, PEGA K800 drop side truck, SEGA cab and chassis, GIGA 6-Wheeler 420HP tractor head, GIGA 10-Wheeler tractor head, and NKR 600P modern PUV. The ribbon-cutting ceremonies were delayed because of the intermittent rains but officials of Qingling Motors Co., Ltd. and Kingling Motors Philippines Inc. were able to cut the ribbon during a break in the weather.
On May 13, 1985, Qingling Motors Co., Ltd. was jointly established by Chongqing Automobile Manufacturing Plant of China and Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd. of Japan as the first Sino-Japanese automotive business enterprise and commercial vehicle manufacturer. Isuzu represented a sizable stake in the joint venture while the State represented the major shareholder. Around 2.5Billion RMB was invested to put up the manufacturing facility, which created jobs for more than 3,000 employees.
On June 16, 1990, Qingling and Isuzu jointly opened three productions lines for final assembly, welding and painting. On November 25, 1992, Qingling and Isuzu became the first assembler in the Chinese national light-duty commercial vehicle industry to achieve an annual production of 10,000 vehicles. On August 17, 1994, with the approval of the Chinese Government, Qingling Motors Co., Ltd. issued 500 million shares of stocks and became the first Chinese automotive enterprise to be publicly traded in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code HK1122).
Qingling and Isuzu Joint Ventures
In October 1994, Qingling and Isuzu jointly launched the N-series commercial vehicle, the 100P light-duty truck. At the same time, Qingling and Isuzu inaugurated the engine assembly plant and started the localization of the Isuzu 4JB1 diesel engine. In 1996, Qingling started exporting engine and transmission components to the Isuzu engine assembly plant in Japan, which is distributed to Isuzu affiliates around the globe.
In 2000, Qingling and Isuzu started the production of the F-Series heavy-duty commercial vehicles and the next-generation N-series light-duty trucks with the new Isuzu 4K diesel engine in 2004. In May 2007, the Qingling Isuzu (Chongqing) Engine Co., Ltd. was established with an investment of around 84 Million US Dollars. Qingling and Isuzu both hold a 50% stake in the joint venture that manufactures, assembles, and distributes Isuzu diesel engines.
Isuzu Qingling Engineering and Autoparts
In September 2011, Qingling and Isuzu signed a memorandum of cooperation to signify their joint entry into the rapidly expanding heavy-duty commercial vehicle market in China. In July 2012, Isuzu invested 3 Million US Dollars (75% share) while Qingling invested 1 Million US Dollars (25% share) to establish Isuzu Qingling (Chongqing) Engineering Co., Ltd. to plan, design and engineer new products including a new heavy-duty truck and its relevant components.
Also, in July 2012, Isuzu invested a 51% share while Qingling invested a 49% stake to establish the Isuzu Qingling (Chongqing) Autoparts Co., Ltd. With a total investment of 240 Million US Dollars, the joint venture was created to produce and market vehicle and engine parts and components. In 2014, the factory manufacturing heavy-duty engine parts and components was in full swing and the mass production of the Isuzu 6Uheavy-duty diesel engine started. In 2017, the Qingling Isuzu GIGA heavy-duty commercial vehicle line was introduced.
Technical Developments and Awards
Today, the Qingling Motors (Group) Co., Ltd. is one of the leading automobile manufacturers in China. It has 43 subsidiaries, several factories, and a research and development (R&D) center. The partnership between Qingling and Isuzu has expanded greatly to include technology, manufacturing, management, marketing, capital control and processes that help grow and enhance the core competitiveness of the joint enterprise.
Qingling transformed traditional industries by using advanced technologies, by developing manufacturing systems, and by improving production processes from basic blank-casting including forging and aluminum casting, to spare parts manufacturing including engine, gearbox and cabin components, up to final vehicle assembly. They also established the Technical Development Center, Mould Center, Forging Die Center, and Physicochemical Center to further the technological development of Qingling and Isuzu products.
Currently, Qingling manufactures, distributes, and exports Isuzu light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles, diesel and gasoline engines, spare parts and components. They manufacture products for the domestic and overseas markets with world-class quality and competitive prices. They have also received various national and international awards including
“2010 China Top 500 Machinery”, “2010 China Top 10 Truck”, and a 5th place finish in the “Lorry’s Top 10” list.
Kingling Motors Philippines Inc.
In the Philippines, Qingling Motors Co., Ltd. initially appointed JAC Trucks distributor Rosita T. Sy as the local distributor of Qingling light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles. The Qingling commercial vehicles were displayed in the 2019 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) and created a buzz in the local commercial vehicle market. Because of the growing demand for commercial vehicles, Isuzu Motors Co., Ltd. of Japan approved the entry of the Qingling Isuzu GIGA heavy trucks into the Philippine market, and allowed Qingling Motors Co., Ltd., as the authorized global distributor, and Kingling Motors Philippines Inc. as the local distributor, the use of the Qingling Isuzu brand name in the Philippines.
Wu You Sheng, the Minister of Global Marketing Management of Qingling Motors sees the entry of Qingling Isuzu light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles as a way to complement the passenger and light commercial vehicle sales of Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) and a way to further promote the Isuzu brand, which is very popular in the country. Kingling Motors Philippines Inc. aims to capture the growing commercial vehicle market dominated by other Chinese truck brands because of the huge price difference compared with the established Japanese brands.
“We realized that most Filipinos do not know how to pronounce Qingling so we used the syllabicated version ‘King-Ling’, which is how it is actually pronounced. In Fookien language, ‘Ling’ means dragon while in Mandarin, ‘Ling’ means truck. So ‘Kingling’ means ‘King of the Dragons’ in Fookien and ‘King of the Trucks’ in Mandarin, which is our goal – to be the king of the Philippine truck market”, stated the lady EVP and COO. “With world-class quality, Isuzu brand recognition, competitive pricing, and an innovative dealer network including a ‘One Price’ policy for all the Qingling Isuzu dealers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, we are confident that we can capture a significant chunk of the growing truck market Philippines”, added Sy.
