It’s no secret that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has become one of the world’s most important manufacturing hubs.
As such, global companies put up manufacturing plants in the country to either sell to the Chinese market or export to neighboring Asian markets to cut costs. This story is also true for automobiles, and with electrification now on the table and China being one of the biggest EV markets in the world, this has gotten deeper than ever.
The Philippines is one of those that benefit from Chinese exports — either through Chinese car brands being sold in the country or non-Chinese brands that are being sourced from the PRC. We have limited tax levies for China-sourced vehicles, bringing the prices down for China-sourced automobiles. Tax holidays for EVs are also being pushed, which can also affect the prices of electrified vehicles.
Here’s a complete list of vehicles being sold in the Philippines that are currently being sourced from China. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
BYD
Chinese automaker BYD commenced selling cars in the Philippines with a lineup that ranges from a small hatchback to a compact SUV. However, the automaker has revamped its offering in recent times, which now focuses on EVs.
According to the company’s website, you may now order electrified BYD vehicles such as the Tang, Han, Dolphin, Atto 3, and T3.
Changhe
The connection between Changhe and BAIC is undeniable since these car brands own a stake in each other. As such, Changhe MPVs in the Philippines are actually BAIC vehicles.
The Laus Auto Group officially sells Changhe in the country with a dealership in Pampanga, led by the M60 MPV.
Changan
Switching from selling Hyundai passenger vehicles in the country, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) is now known as Changan Motor Philippines, Inc. (CMPI), the official distributor of Changan vehicles in the country.
Changan’s lineup in the country consists of the Alsvin sedan, along with the CS75 Plus, CS35 Plus, all-new CS55 Plus, all-new UNI-K, and all-new UNI-T crossovers.
Chery
Chery was one of the earliest Chinese car brands in the Philippines, popularized by the infamous Chery QQ back in 2007. Now the marque is back in the country under a new distributor and with a new line of crossovers globally known as the Tiggo.
Currently, Chery sells the Tiggo 2 Pro, Tiggo 5x, Tiggo 7 Pro, and the Tiggo 8 Pro, which now has a PHEV version in a bid to push electrification.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet vehicles in the Philippines are either from South Korea or the United States. However, the Bowtie brand also sourced its Sail subcompact sedan from China, though that has already been discontinued. Chevrolet Philippines currently sources its Tracker crossover from the People’s Republic.
Geely
You can probably credit Geely for the resurgence of Chinese car brands in the Philippines. The company offered great cars at an affordable price point, enabling it to penetrate the country’s list of top automotive brands in terms of sales.
Geely’s current lineup of vehicles consists of the Emgrand, Azkarra, Okavango, and the hot-selling Coolray.
Foton
Banking on its reputation as a maker of reliable commercial vehicles and heavy equipment, Foton Philippines also entered the passenger car segment with its fast-selling TransVan, Traveller, and Toano vans, Thunder pickup truck, and Toplander midsize 7-seater SUV. The heft and grunt of Foton vehicles are fortified by its US-designed Cummins power plant – a trusted name in diesel engine technology
Ford
Ford mainly sources its lineup of trucks and SUVs from Thailand and the US. However, the EcoSport was once sourced from China before it got discontinued last year. Currently, the Blue Oval is getting its hot-selling Ford Territory from China where it has a rebadged version called the Yusheng S330, produced through the JMC-Ford joint venture.
GAC
Now under a new distributor, GAC Philippines has ushered in a relaunch at the beginning of 2023. Astara Philippines, which also sells Peugeot in the country, is now at the helm of the Chinese brand.
With the brand relaunch, GAC PH currently sells the GS3 small crossover, GS4 compact crossover, and GN6 MPV, plus the newly launched Empow sports sedan and the all-new GS8 midsize crossover.
Haima
With 11 dealerships found in provinces, Haima is one of the surviving early Chinese car brands in the Philippines. Haima’s current lineup includes the 7x, S7, and the V70 flagship minivan/MPV.
Kaicene
Under the umbrella of Berjaya Philippines, Inc., Kaicene was relatively new, which sprung from its previous monicker, Changan. It’s distributed by Berjaya Auto Asia, Inc., now selling the Honor S passenger MPV and CX70 SUV – both offered at a low price tag.
JAC
Deviating from its line of trucks and commercial vehicles, JAC amped up its arsenal in the Philippines with a range of passenger vehicles. JAC PH currently sells the S4 compact crossover, S2 small crossover, T8 pickup truck, and X200 commercial van.
Kia
Kia has brought in the China-sourced Soluto subcompact sedan in 2019 in parallel with the brand’s relaunch under the Ayala Group’s AC Industrials Corp. The Stonic subcompact crossover is also currently being sourced from PRC.
Jeep
Jeep Philippines has given the Compass and Renegade substantial price cuts to make them more attractive to Filipino car buyers. That’s because both crossovers are now sourced from China, assembled in partnership with GAC. This gave the American brand some freedom in terms of pricing, as opposed to its previous assembly line in Italy (Renegade).
Maxus
A Chinese-made brand with a British heritage, Maxus entered Philippine shores in 2019 with a line populated by an MPV (G10) and passenger van (V80). The marque eventually added the T60 pickup truck to its lineup and then pushed further with the attractively priced, tech-laden G50 MPV and D60 crossover.
MG
Another British marque that’s now owned and assembled in China, Morris Garages (MG) is one of the more successful PRC-sourced brands in the country. So much so, that MG is consistently among the bestselling vehicle brands in the Philippines.
MG PH currently sells the MG 5 and MG 6 sedans, and the ZS subcompact and RX5 compact crossovers. Newer offerings include the ZS T and HS crossovers and the GT sports sedan.
Weltmeister
WM, which stands for Weltmeister, is a Chinese EV brand founded by a former Geely executive, Freeman Shen. The brand entered the Philippines in 2022 with an EV offering, the W5. Weltmeister PH currently has a showroom in BGC to accommodate sales, but servicing will be done at the TDG In.Hub Building in Taguig. The servicing facility has a charging station to accommodate WM vehicles
Volkswagen
In the middle of 2018, Volkswagen Philippines, also under the Ayala wing, revamped its lineup and started sourcing its cars from China, further improving its cars’ price point. From Polo, Golf, Passat, and Jetta, VW replaced the range with the Santana, Santana GTS, Lavida, and Lamando. The automaker expanded its range further with the introduction of the brisk-selling T-Cross crossover, also sourced from PRC.