Chery, BAIC, Foton, Lynk & Co: A complete line-up

Last week’s highlight for the motoring world was the Beijing Auto Show. Exhibits that figured prominently included those by Chery, BAIC, and Lynk & Co—brands that are carried by United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI) in the Philippines.

At Wuhu city, home of Chery International Headquarters, I got to chat with UUAGI Group Managing Director Froi Dytianquin.

Here are some snaps from our conversation:

Karen: The Beijing Auto Show demonstrated the extensive array of vehicles offered by Chery, Foton, BAIC and Lynk & Co. What is the direction of UAAGI’s brands in the Philippines?

Froi: The identity of each of the brands carried by UAAGI are distinct and complementary.

The way we envisioned Lynk & Co when we launched it in April is that it was not going to compete with Chery. Chery is mainstream, while Lynk & Co will have its own market and it’s positioned as a mid-premium brand.

BAIC has been in the market for a long time, mostly selling commercial vehicles likes trucks. But the true identity of BAIC is for 4×4 and jeep enthusiasts so we want to change the image that it’s mostly commercial by bringing in the jeeps and 4x4s in the Philippine market to show BAIC’s recreational vehicle (RV) side. Eventually, BAIC will be introducing to the Philippines the smaller models too.

Chery will be bringing in the Tiggo models, with the Tiggo 9 potentially arriving in the last quarter of 2024. The arrival of the Tiggo 9 will complete Chery’s crossover segment featuring small, compact, sub-compact, mid-size and full-size.

Of course there’s Foton that has always been commercial.

The four brands combined give UAAGI a larger breadth in terms of automobile offerings in the Philippines. The four brands complement each other, bringing a complete line-up.

Karen: An exhibit at Chery International’s Headquarters in Wuhu featured a diverse range of products covering travel and recreational accessories, such as: luggage, clothes, handbags, coffee drip set, drones, pet carriers, and even a Robot Dog!

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Will we be seeing those in the Philippines soon?

Froi: This is something we’re considering, so perhaps the distributors might be displaying a Chery Robot Dog in their showrooms soon. As you can see, Chery is expanding not only in providing vehicles but also in lifestyle.

My conversation with Froi is only a sneak peek into what we can expect from UAAGI’s brands in the Philippines. Expect a more extensive insight on the Beijing Auto Show and UAAGI’s brands in this Sunday’s issue of Inquirer Motoring.