Inchcape to bolster presence with new C5 hub in local market
Car Guide, 11 Mar '24
Inchcape Philippines will further bolster its presence in the Philippines with the soon-to-open C5 hub.
The facility, which used to house Subaru and Peugeot, has been transformed into the distributor's mass market hub housing both Mazda and Chang 'an.
In August 2023, Inchcape entered a joint venture with the CATS Group of Companies. The deal includes the acquisition by Inchcape of a controlling 60% stake, while the remaining 40% remains with CATS founding Ang family.
The CATS Motors is a company engaged in the automotive business, retail of vehicles, parts, and accessories in Philippines.
Inchcape Philippines is the exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Harley Davidson. It also continues to serve as an authorised Mazda dealership. Most recently, they have expanded their portfolio to cover the distributorship of their first mass market brand: Chang 'an Auto.
Alex Hammett, Managing Director of South Asia and Pacific, which covers the Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Guam, Saipan, and Micronesia, says that Inchcape will continue its expansion by going vertical. This means, they will not only be a distributor, but will also be a retailer of the brands that they carry.
Currently, they operate in six locations in four major cities in the Philippines, Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City, Greenhills, Pasig City, and Bonifacio Global City.
Inaugurated in August, 2023, Mazda C5 is the first Mazda dealership in the Philippines to reflect Mazda's Japanese Premium corporate design direction. This facility can display up to six Mazda vehicles.
The same month, Inchcape was appointed by Chang 'an Auto to distribute its vehicles in the Philippines. The soon-to-open Chang 'an C5 will become the Chinese brand's flagship showroom and will be able to display up to 10 Chang 'an vehicles. It will also set the tone, look, and feel of the other Chang 'an showrooms across the country.
Inchcape's 12,000 square metre C5 hub will also house the corporate offices of its mass market brands. It will also be home to a centralised parts distribution centre and training centre, complete with a hotel for Chang 'an.
It will also serve as their centralised body and paint centre for all its brand, including premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover. To that end, they have invested in several state-of-the-art equipment, including the ability to properly repair aluminium body panels.
After the competition of its C5 hub, Inchcape Philippines plans to also renovate its Greenhills facilities starting with Harley-Davidson and Mercedes-Benz.