Inchcape Philippines, a subsidiary of global automotive distributor Inschape, announced Thursday a joint venture agreement with Chinese automobile manufacturer Changan International Corp. to exclusively distribute Changan vehicles in the Philippines.
Inchcape managing director for South Asia and Pacific Alex Hammett said the global distributor is looking forward to working with Changan which is a leading OEM company based in Jiangbei, Chongqing, China.
“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,” he said.
The distributor said the partnership would 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.
The deal will expand Inchcape Philippines’ distribution footprint, building on Inchcape’s well-established and growing presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Starting August 2023, Inchcape Philippines will operate the distributorship across more than 25 Changan dealerships and sales outlets in the country.
Changan vice general manager Tom Yin said the global partnership with Inchape 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 3 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,” Yin said.
The distributorship will cover a fleet of Changan products such as the Alsvin Sedan, the CS35 Plus compact crossover, CS55 Plus compact SU, 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 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.