Geely back in PH, starts with Coolray

China-made automotive brand Geely is making a comeback in the Philippines, targeting to initially sell around 2,000 units of its Coolray SUV.

The local arm of Japanese conglomerate Sojitz Corp. is bringing back Geely about a decade after the Chinese brand left the Philippine market.

Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), which is in charge of the distribution and after-sales service of Geely auto vehicles, officially launched the Coolray Wednesday night.

Froilan Dytianquin, general manager for SGAP’s sales and marketing division, told reporters on the sidelines of the launch that the Coolray had been getting attention through mall shows.

At an entry price of around P978,000, with the top of the line variant costing close to P1.2 million, the local distributor aims to entice millennials to embrace the Chinese auto brand.

By the end of the year, SGAP expects to sell around 300 units of the Coolray and then up to 2,000 by the end of 2020.

Other models will be launched in the coming months.

It is even possible to launch hybrid cars in the Philippines, he said, “probably next year.”

“I would say this is a young brand. Of course, there would be difficulty. A Chinese brand has to start from the bottom considering we have to prove our brand,” he said.

Geely Auto Group is a leading automobile manufacturer based in China.

It employs more than 50,000 people and operates 12 manufacturing plants and five global research and development centers.