COTY award for 5008 MPV caps rousing Peugeot week

The first week of April 2013 proved to be a very significant one for Eurobrands Distributor Inc. (EDI), official importer and distributor of Peugeot vehicles in the country. Apart from several planned key marketing activities that were designed to increase the French marquee’s in the Philippines, a few pleasant surprises also sprung up to make it a truly memorable winning week for Peugeot.

It all started last Tuesday, April 2, at the awarding ceremonies of the first leg of the Sunshine Television-organized Auto Rally Corporate Challenge (ARCC). The ARCC, an annual motorsport activity that promotes road safety, was held last March in Tagaytay City and was participated in by a grid of 60 vehicles. EDI’s Team 16, in a Peugeot 5008, was not just honored as stage winner, but was also given a special award for finishing the first leg of the rally’s first stage at the exact prescribed time—a feat that is considerably difficult to achieve.

“Having figured prominently in the ARCC on our first try is something that we at EDI can be truly proud of. We thank all of our media teammates—especially Eggay Quesada of Stoplight TV and Tina Mendiola of Magic 89.9 who were in the stage winning car—for helping us achieve this goal and in turn helping us promote road safety,” said EDI marketing and communications director Dong Magsajo.

On Thursday, April 4, Peugeot’s winning streak continued as the Peugeot 5008 won as MPV of the Year in the 2012-2013 Car of the Year Awards. The award, handed out by the motoring media who count themselves as members of the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi), is a first of Peugeot in the country. It also serves as proof of the high level of vehicle quality that Peugeot and EDI have committed to bringing into the country.

On the very same day, EDI and Peugeot regional officials, led by EDI chair Johnny Hernandez and Peugeot regional sales director Vincent Comyn, unveiled to the public the facelifted RCZ at the 9th Manila International Auto Show (MIAS). The much more evocative sports car, already Peugeot’s standard bearer in design evolution, turned even more heads this year, making the Peugeot booth one of the most visited booths at the hugely successful auto show, which ran all the way until Sunday, April 7.

“We thank the public for their enthusiastic response to Peugeot at the 9th MIAS. We also thank the members of CAGI for voting for the Peugeot 5008 and making it a segment winner. It’s events and awards like these that inspire us to continue to work to make Peugeot even more accessible to the buying public,” said EDI president Felix J. Mabilog, Jr.

Finally, on Friday, April 5, true to Mabilog’s pronouncements, EDI officially cut the ribbon on Peugeot Quirino, the third Peugeot dealership in the country behind Peugeot Las Piñas and Peugeot Cagayan de Oro. With the opening of Peugeot Quirino, EDI stays on schedule in its goal to open 12 dealerships in 12 months—a goal that aims to make Peugeot vehicles accessible to just about anyone in the country.