Volkswagen is not a new player in the PH auto market. In fact, they were present in the country in mid 50s under the distributorship of DMG Motors Group—a franchise dealer for Volkswagen and Audi back then.
Fast-forward, a new star is born! In 2013, Automobile Central Enterprise, Inc. (ACEI), the official importer and distributor of Volkswagen cars in the country, formally re-launched the brand back to the Philippine market.
And in just 3 years of its operations, this German marque hits the 1,000-unit sales mark with total of 1,060 units sold from January to December 2016. This is a 76-percent increase over its 2015 sales, and making it the Philippines’ number one European car brand in 2016.
What’s the secret formula? Let’s start with the overall sales performance during the period when it expanded its dealership network and received 14 awards and citations from its various models and CSR efforts, most notably in Child Safety Initiative campaign and the Passat’s win in the Car of the Year-Philippines in the Mid-Size Luxury Sedan category. The rest of the product lineup—from the iconic Beetle, large SUV Touareg, compact SUV Tiguan, multi-purpose vehicle Touran, to the Golf and Golf GTI, Polo sedan and hatchback, and Jetta compact sedan— contributed to the overall achievement.
Meantime, its dealers network plays a significant role in bringing the brand experience closer to Filipino customer. In total,Volkswagen has 8 dealerships—Taguig, Quezon, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Cebu, San Fernando (Pampanga), Iloilo, and Bacolod.
In 2016, a record-setting 359,572 new vehicles were sold across the country, according to the year-end report from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. The company envisions much more room for growth in sales for European brands in 2017, as more car buyers become more financially empowered and subsequently look beyond price points to “level up” to the premium segments.
And Volkswagen, built up by generations upon generations of world-class German automotive engineering and design excellence, is seen to be top-of-mind of more Filipino car buyers who have trusted this iconic brand for decades.
For those who know their cars, Volkswagen is like no other. It’s More Than Just a Car! Log at www.volkswagen.com.ph.