Jetour to debut at 2023 MIAS

WHEN old friends from the automotive industry buzz you with an announcement that excites you, one sends back a message. My message to Miguelito “Lito” Jose, a long-time automotive industry executive who I knew from my days at Nissan Motor Philippines Inc. (NMPI) was simply “I will be there!”

“There” is the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) which is just about a month away. At the MIAS, Lito, along with his team of young executives, will introduce Jetour’s SUVs: the seven-seater X70, the Dashing, and the X70 Plus.

“These are not just SUVs. They represent the pinnacle of technology, fuel savings, emissions, and safety for the brand. They also represent for us the bringing together of the experience in the auto industry and the spirit and strength of the young blood in managing the brand,” Jose who will lead Jetour’s sales team as its managing director said.

The “young bloods” he mentioned are Yves Licup and Michael Goho, both in their early thirties, yet executives from competing dealerships. Yves Licup from the Autospeedygo Group and Mike Goho from the Gateway Group. These millennial managers will spearhead the Jetour distributorships. Both are in their early 30s will be guided by Jose, whose experience has grown from running a dealership to creating dealerships and brands.

“Collaboration is a very millennial thing,” Yves said. “We don’t fear competition, we embrace competition because it makes us do things better,” the young Licup told Malaya Business Insight. Yves is the son of Vince Licup, another experienced car executive whom I have known from the Nissan North EDSA days.

The Autospeedygo Group, on one hand, started off as a caretaker of the Nissan brand, taking over Nissan North EDSA but building its own dealerships in Valenzuela and then in Caloocan. It also expanded to bring in other brands–Geely and Peugeot initially. Now its dealership footprint extends all over North Luzon.

The Gateway Group, on the other hand, founded in 2004 has been selling BMW, BYD, Geely, Kia, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki cars in Cebu, Bohol, and Palawan. During the pandemic it expanded its reach into South Luzon. This expansion complements its network strength in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Based on sales, Jetour, a sub-brand of Chery Holdings Inc. (a.k.a Chery Motors International), is the fastest-growing Chinese SUV brand exported to 35 countries, now including the Philippines. The X70 series flagship models is followed by the launch of the Dashing only last February in the Middle East.

Jetour’s quick deployment of its car comes with the territory. According to Jetours export division, it has already negotiated with and set up the brand in its target markets way before the cars were completed for export.

“Jetour is a crossover specialist, its core mantra is “Travel+Journey+Technology.” This is why we already prepared very well in advance for the Philippine market,” a Jetour international representative said during the X70 and Dashing launch in Jeddah where the audience visibly appreciated the style and technology of the SUVs.

“Customers will be delighted by Jetour’s volume model, the X70 7-seater, and its flagship the Jetour Dashing, in middle will be the tech-driven seven-seater crossover, the X70Plus,” Jose told Malaya Business Insight.

According to Jose, the initial Jetour dealerships are set in the major urban centers of Quezon City, Alabang, Pasay, Cebu, Davao, and General Santos City.