Resurgence is the word that perhaps best characterizes how GAC Motor Philippines is doing nowadays. Ever since multinational automotive distributor Astara took over local operations on December 2022, the Chinese car brand’s image and vehicle lineup have gotten a huge boost amid the surge of new cars from the People’s Republic. GAC Motor Philippines’ improved fortunes are also being helped by the recent appointment of highly respected industry veterans Franz Decloedt and Timmy De Leon, who serve

This year’s auto industry rigodon has new participants. Astara Philippines, the multinational mobility distributor that handles the local operations of Peugeot and GAC Motor, announced in an August 2023 press statement that it has appointed two well-renowned executives in key leadership positions. Timmy Naval-de Leon, who was formerly head of corporate communications of the Ayala Corporation’s automotive arm AC Motors for nine years, is now Astara Phiippines’ new marketing director. Naval-de Leo

Chinese cars have flooded the Philippine market and many other countries around the globe. It is because Chinese automakers have found ways to undercut the competition by offering quality vehicles that are more affordable but have features comparable to or even better than their Japanese, European, and American counterparts. But the question is, how has China evolved so quickly to produce quality, feature-rich, and, most importantly, cheap vehicles so customers can afford them? Lower production

The 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) is around the corner, with car brands ready to showcase their latest vehicles for the event. These automakers have even released several teasers for their upcoming cars to build hype for them before their grand reveal. That said, we will quickly cover the different models that are appearing at the auto show. Some brands have already stated what they will showcase at the event, while others have yet to fully reveal what they intend to launch. The lis

More and more local carmakers are jumping onto the smartphone-integration bandwagon after Ford Philippines recently unveiled its FordPass app. This time, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) announced in a November 2022 press statement that it is rolling out its myTOYOTA Connect app, initially for the GL Grandia, Grandia Tourer, and Super Grandia variants of the Toyota Hiace van. The app lets Toyota owners instantly get information on their vehicles, such as driving information, trip summaries, and ma

Ford Philippines continued its strong sales performance in 2022 as it sold 16,244 units from January to September this year. This is a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2021. With a total of 7,484 units sold in the first nine months of the year, the Ford Ranger led the lineup in sales with an increase of 12% in year-to-date sales compared to last year. The Ford Territory, meanwhile, also improved by 29% in year-to-date sales, with 6,430 examples sold from January to September this year