It has been just over a week into the new year, and we Filipinos are already looking ahead. The local automotive industry is also charging through with a positive note, trying to leave the economic horrors that companies faced during the previous dreaded year. Like a slow-burn TV show, we are all looking forward to a better season follow-up, as with the rest of the world.
Geely Philippines under Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP) is among those car brands that are looking forward to a more fruitful year.
It won’t be that hard for the Chinese car brand, though. According to SGAP, it had a good run in 2020 and was able to deliver its sales targets in most of the months. One of its models, the Coolray, was even hailed as the top-seller in the subcompact crossover segment for three months.
Geely Philippines takes pride in its cars to attract Filipino car buyers despite the outgoing stigma against Chinese cars. In fact, Geely received several awards and recognitions in 2020, including the Best Subcompact Crossover for the Coolray and Best Compact Crossover for the Azkarra from C! Magazine. Auto Focus also hailed the Coolray as the Best Value for Money Subcompact Crossover, while Autoindustriya.com and Carguide.ph both hailed the small crossover as their top picks for the year.
SGAP was also able to add more showrooms into its lineup in 2020. The company, which started with a sole dealership in North EDSA, has expanded to six more showrooms in Quezon Avenue, Cagayan de Oro, Lipa, Zamboanga, General Santos, and Imus, Cavite.
That said, SGAP isn’t showing any sign of slowing down and looks forward to opening 21 more dealerships in key areas in the Philippines in 2021.
“Geely is definitely starting the year right coming from an illustrious performance last year. Apart from our customers, the awards and recognitions we have received for the past year are our driving force to do better this year. This means a lot to us as we build our name in the industry and strive to be a major player in the market amid an economic downturn,” SGAP president and CEO Mikihisa Takayama said.
“We want to keep our eyes on the bright spots amid the pandemic and other future challenges this year may bring us. I personally think that ‘quality, affordability, and customer delight’ should be instilled in businesses during the crisis. This period of decline in our economy is a good time to prove to our customers the quality and efficiency our brand could offer without having to burden them too much financially. It has been a week since we welcomed the year with high hopes that 2021 will be a lot better for us. Let us all move forward together,” Takayama added.