Geely finally getting the restart it deserves in the Philippines

If there is one brand that can be credited with establishing Chinese automobiles as a credible challenger to the established order of Japanese, Korean, and American brands, it’s Geely.

Yes, MG did prove that a Chinese made vehicle can be competitive about a year before Geely returned in 2019, but that was on price. Geely did it on merit: we’re talking about drive, design, and quality.

In the last year or so, however, Geely has been stagnant in the Philippines. The reason is because there was a turnover happening between the distributor and the incoming national sales company under Geely itself. That wasn’t made smooth by the problems the brand faced when it came to aftersales issues that happened last year.

If you noticed, Geely has been quiet for most of 2024. The former distributor that used to handle Geely closed their flagship dealership on North EDSA a few months back, but there hasn’t been much news from the new company either. There was an announcement that the new and improved Coolray (with the 1.5L turbo Nordthor engine) was already available at the dealers that stuck around, but we were still waiting for new developments.

That new development has arrived: the new company is Geely Motor Philippines Corporation.

For months now, we’ve been trying to verify if Geely had already applied for their SEC registration, but to no avail. We have been told that there have been complications and unexpected hurdles regarding the company being established, which explains the delay and how quiet the brand has been in 2024. But the answer (just like the news of Tesla’s arrival) came in the form of classifieds.

On popular job classifieds sites, Geely has been posting that they are looking for key personnel to fill their ranks. The new company, being a 100% Geely owned subsidiary, is looking for a Parts Inventory Specialist, GL Accountant, Regional Manager for Manila and Cebu, Area Operations Officer, Sales Manager, and even a Corporate Lawyer. These are key positions that require a lot of experience, and are essential to any major OEM.

Their official description states: Geely Motor Philippines Corporation is a leading automotive manufacturer committed to delivering innovative, high-quality vehicles to the Philippine market. With a strong focus on sustainability and technological advancement, we are at the forefront of the industry's transformation. Join us as we continue to drive the future of mobility in the country.

So yes, it looks like we’ll have a few more conversations with Geely regarding their immediate future. What we do know is that they will be headquartered in Makati.