The Philippine automotive industry continues to evolve in the post-pandemic era. New players come in, some brands fade quietly, and some marques are changing owners. Such is the buzz in the industry lately about MG Philippines, one of the leading China-made brands in the country.
Now we can confirm that MG parent company SAIC Motor Corporation, one of the biggest carmakers in China, is set to come in and personally handle the Philippine operations of MG. We sat down with MG PH top management and learned that the contract for the brand ends next month, July 2023. After that SAIC will take over the MG brand.
MG Philippines has handled the brand for five years now, and has grown it to laudable heights—even through a global pandemic. There were many months when MG entered the top 10 sales charts, displacing more established car brands. One can even say MG PH was instrumental in improving the perception of China-made cars in our market.
MG PH said that there is a “lot of respect” from both parties, and there are still discussions on what operations will look like after July 2023.
What SAIC is doing is not uncommon in the industry. It is natural for owners to have a personal hand in operations. Hyundai Motors Philippines is celebrating its first year anniversary after taking over from its former distributor. Nissan Philippines took over from two distributors back in 2012.
For current owners and future buyers, it’s status quo. The dealer network remains, and parts supply and servicing will remain as is. But it will be interesting to see how operations, marketing, and sales will be done after next month.
