What industry big shots are looking forward to in 2017
2 017 is just around the corner and people are busting out their moleskins to write down their goals and wishes for the coming year. That’s what I do, I compare my goals from the previous year, see how I fared and write down what I think I want to achieve for the new year.
2016 was dominated by the news and rants about traffic. People expected the traffic problems to be solved after the elections but hey, we don’t need band-aid solutions. But in my opinion, things are bound to change with the recent developments about the plastic license cards being released after a long delay, infrastructure projects launched one after the other and the plan for the rapid bus lanes to help ease the traffic in Edsa gain- ing ground. I’m crossing my fingers for these.
For the motoring industry, 2017 is poised to be a challenging year people intend to face with optimism. Challenging because of the rumored taxing and provisions on car ownership such as parking, etc. These may slow down the sale of vehicles.
On the other hand, improvements on infrastructure, rehabili- tation of the public transport to help ease the traffic canmakedriving enjoyable again. A second look at the regulations to encourage manufacturing to comeback to the country will also improve the cost of the vehicles and eventually generate more jobs.
So to get the overall vibe, we asked the big shots on what are they looking forward to for both their brands and the industry.
Maricar Parco
President, BMWPhilippines
“There’s nothing more exciting than growing the BMWfamily in the Philippines. So, I am hoping that we can engage more people in 2017 and have them experience Sheer Driving Pleasure that is unique to BMW. I also wish that we, as an industry, can support and harmoniously work with the local government to further develop infrastructures and programs that will allow the general motoring public to enjoy the best of mobility not just in Metro Manila, but across the country.”
Satoru Suzuki
President, Toyota Philippines We at Toyota look at 2017 with cautious optimism. While themarket is expected to remain strong next year, we also expect various challenges such as the depreciating Peso and possible new fiscal regulations that may dampen customer enthusiasm. Although this is the case, as has been proven before, Toyota will continue to focus its efforts on finding better ways to create more customer smiles despite the circumstances. This is of course seen in the expansion of our network through new dealer outlets and our passion towards continuous improvement in serving customers better. This will ensure our brand’s strong name in the country.
Toshio Kuwahara
President & General Manager Honda Cars Philippines, Inc Looking forward to 2017, we at Honda aim to further strengthen our brand through
innovation that is reflected in our products and services. With this, we believe we can enter new market segments with our breakthrough and exciting models, and appealing campaigns that will ultimately bring joy to our customers.
Ginia Domingo President, KIA Philippines
Weare proud to share that Kia started the year by embracing the technological frontier by being first to mention the autonomous drive technology and was first to have Filipino media experience autonomous driving at Kia’s proving ground in Mojave, USA. Furthermore, we end the year by introducing another technological breakthrough called the Handson Drive program. It is very simple, all you have to do is book an appointment for a test drive at kiahandson.com and download the Kia Hands On app on your mobile device. This will serve as your key, allowing you to unlock and start the car once your test drive begins. The Philippines is one of only two countries launching it this year. We’re also proud to have launched the latest iteration of Kia’s best-selling SUV model line, the Kia Sorento, this 2016, and have several exciting products to introduce in 2017.
As a company, Columbian Autocar Corporation has received the Regional Distributor- ship Award of Excellence from Kia Motors Corporation. This propels us further, by growing Kia’s reach through the launch of Kia Baguio, Clark, and other new dealer appointments that you will hear of throughout 2017.”
Lance Mosley
President, Ford Group
Philippines 2016 is a great year for us at Ford. We are delighted with our record-breaking accomplishments brought by the continued trust and patronage of our customers. 2017 is another exciting year for the industry and we are focused to continue this remarkable momentum not only with our sales but most importantly on improving our customers’ overall experience with Ford.
Glen Dasig
President, Peugeot Philippines This year, our goal for Peugeot Philippines was to strengthen our brand and build awareness on who we are and what we have to offer.
In 2017, Peugeot will be on a major product offensive. We will execute our Push to Pass global strategy which is our profitable, responsible and organic growth plan. We will continue to earn the trust of our customers, the media, our dealer partners and the whole automotive community. This is our passion and our commitment.
The automotive industry has constantly been growing year-on-year and it is showing no signs of letting up. But what makes it more exciting now is that we are on the verge of the biggest revolutions that the industry has seen—with autonomous driving, car sharing, 3D printing, big data and the Internet of things. And they are all happening at the same time.
There is a revolution happening led by our customers. They want mobility to be an experience, not just a need.
The customer behavior is changing every day and I am definitely looking forward to seeing Peugeot and other brands address the needs of the new customer and shape the future of modern mobility.
Danny Isla
President Lexus Philippines For Lexus, 2017 will definitely be an exciting ride as fresh new models are introduced. Beyond Lexus, I look forward to people working together towards the political and economic stability of the country. I hope for more investments and business opportunities to allow Filipinos greater chances at productive employment. This business climate will be an enabler in having a continuous growth for all industries, the car industry included. When this happens, I hope that our road infrastructure is ready and the traffic situation is eased.
Felix Ang
President, Mercedes-Benz 2016 has been a great year for our brands, from new models brought in this year, to continuously providing good service to our customers. Next year will be much more challenging for the whole industry; nevertheless, I look forward to the opportunity of providing even better products & services.
Even though I am not a car company exec, what I am looking forward to in 2017, is a more customer-centric industry. Perhaps, with the upcoming changes, the car companies will look into the development of their customer service and product offering. Another thing to look forward to is maybe more eco-friendly options and the development of facilities for it. Cheers to 2017!!
Atty. Albert Arcilla
President, Chevrolet PH We look forward to 2017 with a lot of optimism and excitement. We have just introduced the 2017 Trailblazer and Colorado and the reception is very good. We have two new models coming in the first quarter which I think will be very successful for us as well.
The economic indicators are strong and to our advantage. The market is growing and the need for mobility remain a top priority for the consumers. I feel strongly confident 2017 will be a great year for the industry.