Q&A: ‘The next three years are big years for new products’ --[Reported by Umva mag]

A quick chat with SAIC Motor Philippines President Felix Jiang

Interview by Kap Maceda Aguila

THE ALWAYS-AFFABLE Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) Motor Philippines President Felix Jiang was on hand to send off the first batch of media and content creators for the very first ride-and-drive event of MG since the company took the reins of the distributorship.

Amid the surfeit of China-headquartered marques, MG is selling the most cars here — good for ninth place among Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) member brands. Just last August, it sold 821 units, up by 10.6% over the 742 vehicles it moved in July. YTD, a total of 5,496 MG cars have been sold — representing 1.8% of the CAMPI total.

“Velocity” exclusively talks to Mr. Jiang after he addressed the participants at the MG Gallery on Quezon Avenue.

VELOCITY: Per the latest CAMPI-TMA (Truck Manufacturers Association) sales report, MG in the Philippines is the ninth-leading auto brand in terms of sales. It’s the leading Chinese marque at the moment. Why do you think that is?

FELIX JIANG: First is that I think all the MG partnerships or dealerships are really focused on MG. They’re really invested in, and are taking care of, the brand — and with passion. This makes us different from the other brands.

Secondly, for the whole MG brand or our own employees and network, we take care of our customers very much. We think MG’s success or future is really based on our existing and potential customers, so we really take care of their concerns, (listen) to their suggestions, and strive to meet their expectations. This not only makes us different, but allows us to grow as fast as we expected.

We spoke with one of your dealers who said that with the establishment of SAIC Motor Philippines, MG here became focused on, as you mentioned, after-sales service, and the fulfillment rate is at 97%. Is that something you really prioritized?

Like I said, the customer is always the most important to the brand. Ours is not a short-term business, but a long-term one. No matter how many of our cars are on the road, our customers all become part of the MG family; and we want to take care of them like family members. If they are satisfied, we are satisfied — and we will succeed. This is the main logic of the company.

How are you looking at growing your portfolio? The bigger players, which we assume you want to catch up to, feature a full range of vehicles. Is that something in MG’s plans as well?

Actually, globally for MG, we call 2024 to 2026 big years for new products. There will be a lot of global models coming out — with a common European standard for all of them. These will be sold everywhere, including South America, Australia, Middle East, Europe — everywhere, including the Philippines. So, in the next three years we will definitely be reviewing our plans based on key (segments) of the Philippine market — including big SUVs and potentially light commercial vehicles.

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