Empowering engines for economic growth

LOOKING GOOD The newly launched Foton Thunder is taking the pickup market by storm.

Foton Philippines, the country’s most active and biggest China-made vehicle brand holds an annual single brand auto event called the “Foton Big Show.” Its theme this year is called “Empower Your Business” and for the first time, it was held in the World Trade Center last Oct. 19-21 in Pasay City.

One of the highlights of the event was its “Power Deals” promo, allowing Foton buyers to trade-in their old vehicles for a brand new Foton unit. Aside from getting a better valuation for the trade-in unit, it was bundled with special rewards and surprise promos. The event was also participated by several major auto loan banks that offered flexible financial packages with easy processing of on site credit applications that can all be processed in one day. The opening ceremony was hosted by MYX VJ Bianca Roque, with several national government and foreign dignitaries including Assistant Secretary Virginia Torres and Honorable Wu Zheng Ping of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Philippines attending the event.

Here in the Philippines, Foton is exclusively distributed by United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI) since 2006. It has since grown to 19 dealerships nationwide in just a span of five years.

Rommel Sytin, president of both Foton Philippines and UAAGI, said: “Our mission for year 2013 is to provide business solutions to and for our clients. That is why we came up with ’Empower Your Business’ as this event’s theme.

BOTH Foton View Van and MPX Van models can be configured to be full-service ambulances.

This is not merely for us, but for all our stakeholders. And none of these would have been possible without the support of our financial and banking partners, as well as government agencies, like the LTO.

Our 19 dealership network and over 90 Accredited Service Centers have engaged fully on a nationwide level and we are able to provide the technical support and service requirements of our customers.

Dealerships in emerging growth centers are also in the pipeline for 2013. The corporation brought about by the partnership between Foton and Daimler, the leading truck manufacturer in the world, is a major breakthrough not only for Foton as a brand, but more importantly, it has been very instrumental in the advancement of technology for our heavy-duty trucks.”

Foton is the world’s second and Asia’s largest large-scale vehicle, machinery and equipment manufacturing enterprise. Aside from commercial and passenger vehicles, the company also produces construction machineries and agricultural equipment and has gained a strong position in the global market. Its recent expansion features the latest technology to ensure a competitive position and its partnership with established American and European automakers provides up-to-date specs and model development. Its production work methods anchors on elevating manufacturer standards and targets making zero-defect products.

The Foton manufacturing base has expanded its global network through its 12 manufacturing hubs and seven KD (knocked-down) factories are located in China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico.

FOTON’S top three finalists in the custom Foton awards where the Thunder pickup emerged as grand winner. Photos by Alvin Uy

The company also invests heavily in developing new products and innovation systems with the help of its R&D centers located in Germany, Japan, United States, Thailand and Taiwan. In 2008, it entered into a joint venture with Cummins Engine Co. Ltd. to produce engines for the new Thunder pickup. It also partnered with German automaker Daimler AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks, recently.

Formerly known as Daimler-Chrysler, its new lineup of Auman trucks will be produced by its joint venture under Beijing Foton Daimler Auto (BFDA). Daimler will provide its manufacturing expertise in making its state-of-the-art OM457 Mercedes-Benz motor engine, which will be manufactured right in the Foton-Daimler plant in China.

The event showcased Foton’s vision of empowering businesses and enterprises by providing the market with affordable, reliable and well-equipped vehicles like passenger and commercial vans, pickup trucks and construction equipment.

The show also shared Foton’s global green vision of providing alternative fuel vehicles by unveiling its version of the E-Jeep and E-Truck. Foton is China’s largest provider for alternative fuel buses, with thousands of its electric buses plying the streets of China’s capital city, Beijing.

“We wish to show you Foton’s global direction of environment protection and adherence to green technology applications—the first Foton Electric Jeep! Because we, at Foton fully support the Alternative Fuel Law & the Clean Air Act,” Sytin added.

Introduced to the local market in 2006, the Foton Blizzard pickup trucks have been well accepted in the local market, including government agencies. The Foton Big Show also displayed several variants and special editions of its new Thunder pickup, powered by American engine brand Cummins.

The Foton View Van and MPX vans that were showcased in the event are likewise well accepted and selling very well in the market, with a number of special vehicle options like ambulance setups or commuter layouts and configurations for both institutional and government accounts.

Launched in the Big Show last year, Foton’s heavy equipment vehicles continues grow, adding new models of dump trucks, road rollers and other specialty excavator vehicles and heavy equipment for the booming construction market. The show also allowed visitors and clients to avail of test drives not only with its pickups and vans, but also to operate and test its heavy machinery.

Foton also ran a contest among its dealers, showcasing three winners from its Pampanga, San Pablo and Balintawak branches. The Pampanga dealership won the top award with a fully customized Thunder pickup truck, complete with an armored bumper, large 4×4 Concept One wheels and Nitto mud tires while runner-up San Pablo branch came out with a “Fashion on Wheels” concept van using the View Van model and third placer Balintawak branch took the entrepreneur route by coming up with a rolling store concept using a Tornado commercial truck.

Other activities included seminars and technical trainings about its products, road safety and responsible driving, vehicle registration, licensing, traffic regulations and other concerns on fleet and equipment management.

For more information about Foton, contact (02) 459-2121/0922-801-7217 or log on to www.foton.com.ph. Or email [email protected] and like FOTON Philippines on Facebook for more updates.