2022 Manila International Auto Show: The Barometer of Onsite Live Motoring Events for the Year

The 2022 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) became the barometer to measure the public’s thirst for the return of onsite live events, as well as the state of the Philippine automotive industry. The auto show, which was held from Aril 7 to 10, 2022 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, attracted more than 120,000 visitors, who witnessed launches and displays of new models, test drives, show car competition, and various visceral experiences.

The opening ceremonies on April 7 was led by Worldbex Services International Founding Chairman and MIAS Organizer Joseph Ang, who expressed his appreciation and gratitude to everyone who participated in the show. The official opening was graced by Automotive Association of the Philippines (AAP) President Joe Ferreira, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Senior Consultant Albert Suansing, representing Secretary Arthur Tugade, Pasay City Mayor’s Office Chief of Staff Peter Eric Pardo, representing Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, dignitaries from various embassies, and officials of auto makers. The first day also featured several new vehicle model launches.

 

 Changan

“We are limitless!”, declared Fe Perez Agudo, the President of Changan Philippines, as she introduced their company’s model line-up, from the Alsvin 4-door sedan to the CS35 and CS75 5-door SUVs. She emphasized the company’s slogan “Be Amazed, Be Moved and Be Changed with Changan Mobility” when she unveiled the EADO EV460, the brand’s all-electric vehicle. She also showcased the new CS35 Plus as part of Changan’s initiative to offer vehicles with premium safety and convenience features at an affordable price.

Chery

United Asia Automotive Group Incorporated (UAAGI) and Chery Auto Philippines President Errol Dueñas along with Vice President for Sales and Marketing Luigi Ignacio launched the newest Chery crossover SUVs – the Tiggo 5X Pro, the Tiggo 8 Pro and the Tiggo 8 Plus plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Buoyed by its 223% sales increase in 2021, the company is gearing up for even better sales in 2022 with the new models in the lineup. UAAGI Chairman Rommel Sytin, UAAGI Director Kenneth Sytin and Chery Auto dealers joined the celebrations after the launch.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet unleashed their Tahoe 4×4 Z71 with a 5.3-liter V8 as a more powerful option in the full-size SUV market against the Toyota’s Land Cruiser and the Nissan’s Patrol. The Chevrolet booth also displayed the new Trailblazer, new Tracker, and a sexy 2022 Camaro RS coupe.

Foton

UAAGI President Errol Dueñas wore his “other” cap as President of Foton Motor Philippines and, with Vice President for Sales and Marketing Levy Santos, launched the all-new Foton Thunder 2.0 pickup truck under the slogan “A New Power is on the Move”. The new Foton Harabas TM300 MPV and the Foton Transvan 15-seat passenger van flanked the new Thunder. Acclaimed singer Bamboo provided the energizing entertainment for both the Chery and Foton launch events. Foton also displayed their heavy-duty trucks in a different wing of the event and provided a Modern Jeepney as the Official Mobility Partner of MIAS 2022.

GAC

GAC Motor Philippines President Wilbert Lim was beaming with excitement with the new GAC vehicles he introduced during MIAS 2022. Along with his son, Brennan Lim and Vice-president and COO Giovanni Frias, Wilbert unveiled the all-new GS8 premium full-size SUV and the Empow55 sports sedan to the delight of the attendees. Previewed as a semi-concept car at the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show and launched in the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the Empow is based on GAC’s Global Platform Modular Architecture (GPMA). Former Ilocos Sur Governor and current Narvacan Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson graced the launch of the new GAC models.

Geely

“Our goal is to be among the Top 10 automotive brands in the Philippines by 2023”, announced Yugo Kiyofuji, the newly-appointed President and CEO of Sojitz G Auto Philippines Corporation, the exclusive distributor of Geely automobiles. Kiyofuji launched the new Geely Coolray with Froilan Dytianquin, Geely Philippines’ General Manager for Sales and Marketing, and enjoined the attendees to experience the entire model line-up including the Emgrand sedan and Azkarra and Okavango SUVs.

JAC

JAC Motors Philippines displayed their “Royals of the Road” light and medium-duty trucks and buses with the JAC Prince and JAC Queen models. Their activity focused on the launch of their light commercial vehicle (LCV), the new JAC X100 with FB body. Priced competitively, the X100 is also available as a cab-and-chassis variant, which can be fitted with an aluminum van body.

Maserati

Modena Motorsports, which markets Maserati automobiles in the country, displayed their aspirational line of fine Italian automobiles including the Ghibli and Quattroporte sports sedans, the Levante premium SUV, and the Gran Turismo Convertible Sport.

Morris Garages

Morris Garages showcased their latest models like the upgraded MG 5 Core Plus and MG 6 sport sedans, RX5 crossover, ZS and ZST compact SUVs and HS mid-size SUV at its elegant pavilion, dubbed as the MG Concourse, which was designed to make visitors feel as if they were at iconic locations such as London’s Piccadilly Circus and Shanghai’s The Bund. MG owners had the privilege of displaying their vehicles on the first day of the show.

Mitsubishi

During the show, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines showcased their new familial front design, especially with the MPVs and SUVs. The latest Xpander Cross multipurpose vehicle (MPV) has design cues that associate it clearly with its other siblings such as the Strada pickup truck and Montero Sport SUV. The highly-popular Mirage G4 subcompact sedan may not possess a similar front design but it shares the same robustness as its larger siblings. Xpander buyers at the MIAS got a chance to win mountain bikes or a family trip to Boracay.

Nissan

Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) continues to promote the “Nissan Intelligent Mobility” campaign with their all-electric Nissan Leaf and how it can transport not just people and goods but energy as well. Also on display were the company’s best-selling Navara pickup truck models, Terra mid-size SUV, Patrol full-size premium SUV, and Almera compact 4-door sedan.

Peugeot

With the support of Stellantis, the parent company of French automaker Peugeot, and Astara, its new distributor in the country, Peugeot Philippines held a public launch of the all-new Peugeot 2008 compact SUV, which is powered by a turbocharged 1.2-liter mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with “quick shift” technology. Peugeot Brand Head Maricar Parco and Marketing and Product Director Prudz Castillo introduced the new model as well as the other new SUVs in their lineup, the 3008 and 5008 and the Traveller Premium passenger van. To fully appreciate the vehicles, Peugeot also offered test drives to show attendees.

Subaru Motor Image

Glenn Tan, the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of the Tanchong Group, flew all the way from Singapore to unveil the latest models from Subaru – the all-new BRZ 2.4 AT 2-door sports coupe and the new Forester 2.0i-S 5-door SUV with the EyeSight 4.0 active safety package. The Subaru display hall also showcased the Evoltis Touring mid-sized SUV, XV 2.0i-S and XV GT, and the Outback 2.5i-T. The new vehicles were put through their paces at the Russ Swift Stunt Show, which ran thrice daily during the auto show.

Volvo

Scandinavian Motors Corporation, the Philippine distributor of Volvo automobiles, showcased their lineup of plug-in hybrid vehicles under their “Volvo Recharge” campaign. The models on display include the Boost Hybrid versions of the S90 premium 4-door sedan, the XC60 and XC90 5-door SUVs.

Autohub Group

The Autohub Group, led by its President, Willy Tee Ten, showcased most of the automotive brands that they market or distribute including MINI, Vespa, Triumph, Lotus, Shelby automobiles, V-Kool window tints, among Aprilia, which they recently acquired. At their MIAS 2022 display area was the MINI Countryman, Vespa Primavera, an Aprilia scooter, and Triumph Scrambler.

Wheel Gallery

Sammy Liuson’s team at Wheel Gallery has always been creative when displaying their Concept One and Black Rhino wheels at the show. This year, they showcased a new alloy wheel brand, Method Race Wheels and mounted these on a classic Land Rover Defender 90, Ram Truck, Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, and Toyota Hilux. Black Rhino wheels were mounted on a Ford F150 Velociraptor 6×6, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Hilux, and Mazda BT-50.

Exotic Cars

AutoPlus, the exclusive Philippine distributor of Motul lubricants and motor oils, displayed three mouth-watering exotic cars including a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG modern gullwing, Ferrari 488 GTB, and a McLaren 570 GT. Michelin tires had an Audi R8 V10, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Aston Martin DB11 V8 coupe, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo at their stand while their mascot, Bibendum, made the rounds around the show. The Porsche Design apparels and accessories stand had a classic Porsche 911 Targa while the Drift Xaust exhaust systems stand featured a red Chevrolet Corvette C8 and another McLaren 570.

MUTT Motorcycles  

UAAGI, the distributor of Foton and Chery vehicles, has also dipped their hand in the motorcycle industry and brought a unique brand to market. MUTT Motorcycles is based in Birmingham, England, the historic home of British motorcycling and the birthplace of heavy metal. As such, MUTT motorcycles are radically-styled and are powered by a single-cylinder air-cooled engine with either 125cc or 250cc displacements.

Lego

Everything was awesome at the Lego lobby display, including a large-scale Ferrari 512M race car model that took more than 480 hours to build and weighs 280kg. Lego also showed brick replicas of iconic SUVs and motorbikes alongside their real-life counterparts.

 Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

MIAS 2022 co-presenter Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) provided special deals on auto loans for interested buyers who bought or reserved cars during the show. BPI’s Dennis Fronda announced that BPI Family Bank and its Auto Loans division has been absorbed into BPI. Their display area showcased the new Honda Civic and KTM Duke 790, which are under the AC Motors Group, the sister company of BPI within the Ayala Group of Companies.

Petron

After the opening ceremonies, Petron Lubes and Greases National Sales Manager Leojun Gonzales and Trade Marketing and Sales Support Manager Gerald Celorico invited attendees to visit their display area, which is a life-size diorama of a Petron service station, complete with two BMW premium sedans, a black 3-series and a white 5-series. At the entrance to the display halls, Petron displayed their red Blaze Racing Team Rally Car along with a two BMW Motorrad premium motorcycles, a black R18 cruiser and an S1000R sports bike.

Petron also presented the MIAS Custom and Classic Car Competition, which attracted more than 40 entries from the country’s leading custom tuners and shops. A competition and show organized by the European Mobile Media Association (EMMA) was likewise well-attended, attracting more than 30 entries. Hre are some of the notable entries:

See You in 2023

With 20,000 square meters of indoor space and an additional 7,000 outdoor space for displays, test drives and the stunt show, the auto show featured more than 200 cars and trucks, over two dozen motorcycles, and more than 100 exhibitors. “We’re glad to announce that we were able to surpass our performance targets for 2022 MIAS despite logistical challenges and restrictions brought about by the pandemic, episodes of rainy weather, and heavy traffic around the area”, said Jill Ang, Managing Director of Worldbex Services International. “Almost all the car brands reported very high numbers in terms of reservations and inquiries”, she added. “We look forward to progressing back to normal and holding the 2023 MIAS.”

(The Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) is organized by Worldbex Services International. For inquiries and concerns you may visit https://manilaautoshow.com/ or reach them at +63 8656 9239 and email inquire@worldbexevents.com)

Photos by Roy Eusebio, Lester Dizon, Shariffa Dizon and courtesy of Worldbex Service International.