SsangYong Philippines to Make a Comeback with Berjaya Group of Companies

MANILA: SsangYong Philippines will no longer be a thing of 90's, as the Korean brand is all ready to make a comeback and this time with the official Mazda Philippines distributor, Berjaya Auto Philippines. The said distributor first entered our market back in 2013, and officially begin Mazda operation in the Philippines. The distributorship proved good for both Berjaya and Mazda, the high sales figure and annual hike being the best proof.

Now, in order to increase its dominance over the budding Philippines auto market, it has decided to add SsangYong in its brand line-up, which it hopes will once again get a strong foot in the market, after getting acquired by Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra in 2010 that has an image of 'acquire of the falling'. Pininfarina, the Italian designing firm being its latest possession.

For the new generation of car buyers who are not aware of SsangYong, it is a Korean auto brand sharing its home ground with the well-known car maker Hyundai. It is a strong automobile player in over 115 countries and is best known for its distinctive and strong Sports Utility Vehicle. The company initially started off as a supplier of jeep, workhorse trucks, and buses of the US army and eventually entered into passenger vehicle front.

As for the latest update, the Korean automaker made an overwhelming appearance at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, where it put on display two of SsangYong SUV concepts- XAV Adventure and XLV Air. To its line-up one car that will surely make a Philippines debut is Tivoli, a compact SUV with great performance and differentiating designing language. With SsangYong Berjaya Auto Philippines, its official distributor, the company is aiming towards a 500 unit annual sales figure. Also, SBMP is planning to open as many as 4 dealerships where will welcome all the new along with 90's owner for buying, service and parts related needs. SsangYong dealership will be integrated at Mindanao (1), Visayas (1), and Metro Manila (2).

The two main driving force of SsangYong in Philippines market are David M. Macasa, who has initially worked for 25-years with Mazda and now is appointed as SsangYong Managing Director. In his words, “We are taking advantage of the Philippines’ continuously growing automotive industry. Berjaya Philippines along with SsangYong Motors, have established a partnership that will give Filipinos an innovative and reliable alternative in the fast expanding Philippine automotive market. I will use my knowledge and experience gained in my years with the local auto industry to make SsangYong a major player in this small, yet highly competitive industry.” Second in line is Francis Lee, who was also initially working with Mazda Malaysia and now will be operating as chairman of Berjaya Auto Philippines.

In all 2016 looks like a treat year for Philippines car market, with new brands and new models making entry in the market. Mitsubishi Montero Sport made an early January debut and now in days to come VW is soon to bring new variants of Jetta, Polo Sedan and Tiguan and how can one forget the all-new Toyota Fortuner that blessed our land after a long wait.

Read Also: Mahindra KUV100, First M&M Car After Pininfarina Acquisition