Inchcape Managing Director for South Asia and Pacific Alex Hammett has lofty ambitions for Changan Auto
Interview by Kap Maceda Aguila
SHORTLY AFTER Inchcape Philippines’ inauguration of the flagship showroom of Changan Auto in the country, we spoke with the global auto distributor’s Managing Director for South Asia and Pacific Alex Hammett.
He said that Inchcape’s overarching responsibility is to “create great experiences for both customers and partners by leveraging in-market expertise, unique technology, and advanced data analytics,” which is reflected in how the company is moving on the ground in the country.
Mr. Hammett described the first half 2024 as “very fruitful,” on the back of a dealer forum and the launch of the Changan CS15 crossover at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) — underscoring a vision of providing more Filipinos “smart mobility options.” He expressed bullishness for the brand amid a very pronounced influx of Chinese auto brands.
Here are excerpts from our exclusive interview with Mr. Hammett.
VELOCITY: This is a very huge facility for Changan Auto. Why decide to establish such a large dealership?
ALEX HAMMETT: “(Inchcape) represents Changan now in five countries. We’re incredibly confident about the brand. But this property is quite scale — not only the showroom, but the entire complex because it’s going to be a real integral part of our operations in the Philippines. And so while it does have a 10-car showroom for our full lineup of Changan vehicles, and we have a full service center, this property also houses our body and paint operations, our new parts distribution center that will be multi-branded for all of our dealers across the country, as well as the very scale training academy to make sure that our sales associates and our technicians are world-class.
What’s the growth plan like for Changan Auto in terms of dealerships?
We have some plans for locations down south like Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete, and Davao later this year. We also have plans to get our network up to 29 dealerships by yearend.
The local auto industry in the Philippines has seen quite an influx of brands, mainly coming from China. How does Changan Auto intend to compete in this kind of environment? What do you think are the key things that will drive sales for the brand?
It’s a really good question. Because the Philippines is a left-hand-drive market, a lot of Chinese products can come into the market quite simply. And I believe there are about 32 brands now in the Philippines, and they’re all competing for a small space, making it extremely competitive. But as I said, we have a global partnership with Changan, and we operate in a lot of markets in Latin America. And what we can say is, we’ve seen this in other markets, and we’re confident we can do that here in the Philippines.
Changan has a full lineup from the CS15 all the way up to the Uni-K; the product range is fantastic. Also, the quality of the products is world-class and they constantly win JD Power China’s IQS (Initial Quality Study) and they have since 2018. So, it’s great value for money. It’s great quality product, and with the power of Inchcape, we’re very, very confident about the brand.
