CHINESE brands dominated MIAS 2023 with only 6 of the 15 participants in this year’s show being Japanese, American or European. The return of the MIAS with no COVID-19 restrictions helped increase the number of visitors from 142,000 in 2022.
“MIAS 2023 reaches a new record of 149,000 visitors We are pleased to announce that the total visitor count for the 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) that transpired last weekend from April 13 to 16 was over 149,000 visitors. This means that we reached a new record, up by 24 percent from last year’s visitor count of 120,000 and by about 5% from our previous record high of 142,000 visitors in 2019,” Jill Ang, Managing Director of Worldbex Services International, organizer of the Manila International Auto Show
Present this, the 18th run of the MIAS are BYD, Changan, Chery, Ford, Foton, GAC Motors, Geely, Great Wall Motors (GWM), Hyundai, Jetour, MG (Morris Garages), Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot and Subaru. Of the five or so new vehicle introductions made, four are electric, whether full battery or hybrid.
BYD launched the Han EV, a premium all-electric sedan that can put European luxury cars scampering for their money. It also highlighted the already launched Dolphin EV, which is compact (but not as little as the Jetour Ice Cream) and its mainstay, the Tang EV. BYD had no ICE powered vehicle on display, a very brave move for the Chinese automaker.
Chery showed off the Tiggo 7 Pro Hybrid and what seems to be a debut of the Tiggo 5X Pro Hybrid (but no announcement was made if this will be offered locally). These two hybrids use a 1.5L turbocharged engine connected to 48V belt-starter generator (BSG) which in turn is connected to a battery pack. The BSG is both a generator and a motor assisting the engine overcome inertia and the initial momentum needed to drive the car, similar to Suzuki’s ISG propelled Ertiga.
Hyundai finally put a P4M price on the Ioniq 6 which was previewed at the show for the first time. Hyundai was already a pacesetter in this field offering the Ioniq 5 when under its previous management. The all electric Ioniq is the first of several Hyundai all-electric EVs that may reach the Philippines.
Great Wall Motors, introduced by its local distributors Luxuriant Automotive introduced publicly the Haval H6 Hybrid Turbo and the 1.5L Jolion Hybrid. Both cars were already made known to the public earlier but its presence at MIAS is significant because the brand has been making huge strides in other markets. Their hybrid electric offerings are priced very competitively.
Jetour was busy keeping people from overcrowding their booth interested in the Jetour Ice Cream. The tiny all-battery EV is priced at P699K–the cheapest of the current branded EVs in the market–and also the smallest.
Peugeot displayed the all-electric e-2008 crossover SUV. It wasn’t an actual launch because it won’t be available at Peugeot showrooms yet. However, unveiling it was a sure sign that the e-SUV will be available in the country.
Though Nissan didn’t introduce anything new, the brand went their to show off the superiority of the Nissan LEAF V2L system, practically powering the devices at the booth. It also highlighted the superiority of the e-Power system found in the Kicks with a cutaway view of the car. That was enough to bring in the crowds to check out the LEAF and the Kicks, aside from Nissan’s other cars in their booth.
Notable, non EV launches include Ford’s newest Territory, a sneek peek at the latest Ranger Raptor which is coming soon. Subaru showed off its latest Evoltis and Forester GT. MG highlighted their GT–a new iteration of the classic MG GT alongside the debut of the MG ZS Nite Edition which features a blacked-out exterior.
GAC, now operated by Astara Philippines brought in the ICE version of the Emkoo which is priced at around P1.4M. However, the big news was its newest Empow GE, which is considered a performance sedan. Just nearby, Changan showed off its latest CS35 Plus, alongside its 100,000 kms old CS35 to prove reliability and durability. The upper crust CS55, Uni-T, and Uni-K, and the entry level Alsvin sedan were also on display.
The most interesting booth to me is Mitsubishi. The well preserved vintage Pajero and Lancer was both delightful and educational. Understanding Mitsubishi’s DNA is important in seeing the Xpander Cross, Montero Sport, and a Ralliart-spec Strada to highlight that Mitsubishi’s motorsport ancestry. Geely, just beside the Mitsubishi booth had the Emgrand, Coolray, Azkarra, and Okavango. It debuted the GX3 Pro which is a compact SUV and is expected to give the Toyota Raize and Kia Stonic some serious competition.
“MIAS 2023’s success is primarily because of the growing demand for new vehicles this year. We can see how the brands are expanding and the interest in electric vehicles is being sparked. Most importantly, we attribute the show’s triumph to the support of the automotive industry making our 18th edition of the MIAS a wonderful success,” Ang concluded.
