Duterte Welcomes Chinese Automobile Brand GAC in PH

It was no less than the Chief Executive, President Rodrigo Duterte, who welcomed the Chinese automobile brand Guangzhou Automobile Corporation (GAC), during its launch Wednesday, November 7.

During the launch of GAC Motor, which is under Legado Motors Inc. (LMI), Duterte said that it was an honor to welcome the brand for investing in the country.

"On behalf of the Filipino people, I'd like to thank you for your confidence in investing and expanding your business here in this country," Duterte said in his speech.

LMI, the exclusive distributor of GAC Motor in the Philippines, is under the helm of former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis 'Chavit' Singson.

For its initial salvo, five GAC models were launched: the GA4 sedan (available in 1.5-liter manual and 1.3-liter gas turbo automatic transmissions), GS4 subcompact SUV, GA8 executive sedan (available in four and five-seater variants), GM8 premium seven-seater minivan, and the flagship model, GS8 full-size SUV (available in 4x2 and 4x4 variants), with no less than the president unveiling the flagship model.

The brand has a robust goal to sell one million vehicles by 2020 as it currently has established its presence in the Middle East, South America, and Africa.

GAC vehicles received five-star ratings in China Automotive Technology and Research Center's China-New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) crash tests, making it the sole brand that received a full five-star safety rating car in China.

Moreover, GAC Motor ranked number 1 in the J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for five consecutive years from 2013 to 2017.

According to LMI Chief Executive Officer Wilbert Lim, the brand is poised to deliver only the best automobiles and services to every Filipino.

"We at Legado Motors are committed to provide world-class vehicles at affordable prices," Lim shared.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Duterte assured that the trust bestowed by the brand for investing in the country "will never be put in vain," noting that the local automotive market is among the fastest growing in the Southeast Asian region, with a growth rate of 22 percent for the last five years.

However, the latest sales tally of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.- Truck Manufacturers Association (CAMPI-TMA) showed that as of September 2018, vehicle sales have gone down 13.8 percent, rolling out only 261,057 units year-to-date sales in contrast to the 302,869 vehicles sold for the same period last year.