2024 Manila International Auto Show doubles up at WTC and SMX
MIAS 2024 Round Up
April is here, and so is the Manila International Auto Show.
This annual event has been a mainstay of the local automotive calendar since 2005, save for a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. Historically, this is the biggest automotive event given the attendance and the promotion done by the organizers, and now its back and bigger than ever, so much so that it has literally outgrown the location.
If you’ve been observing what’s been happening at the local automotive market, you’ll know that many new brands have arrived to play in our little part of the world. And if you visit the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) is happening until April 7, then you won’t be surprised to know that there are two venues for this year’s edition: WTC and SMX.
Yes, that’s right: MIAS is happening simultaneously at the World Trade Center Manila and the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia complex. If you plan on visiting the event, you have the choice of entering via SMX or via WTC, as free shuttles are provided to allow visitors to move from one venue to another.
So, can’t figure out where to start? Why don’t we break it down based on what you’ll see at each venue.
WTC is pretty much the home of MIAS (and any other motor show for that matter), and this is where many of the core brands chose to set up shop for the event. At the front of the venue is an array of classic cars like a pristine Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Celica, Corona Macho Machine and more, as well as some neat tuner cars like the GT-R and Civic, together with some prepped off-road rigs.
Inside the WTC lobby you’ll find the ticket booth, several aftermarket brands and other essential partners like auto loans, fuel companies and more, but the real MIAS begins when you enter the main hall.
At SMX, there were also some modified rigs and cars in the lobby along with the ticket booths,
It was a surprise to find Mitsubishi Motors Philippines at MIAS because they generally reserve their participation for CAMPI’s Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) if there is one in the same year.
Perhaps it’s because they just launched the all-new Triton pick-up truck, and that’s what is really headlining the show for them. Along with the Triton is the current generation Montero Sport. It’s not new as we’re still waiting for the premiere of the successor model, but expect great deals on that vehicle if you’re looking for a PPV. The launch that happened for Mitsubishi is really the update to the Xpander, or a least a slight update to the infotainment unit.
Inchcape took part at MIAS, but for the Changan brand which they added to their portfolio in late 2023. At MIAS, they showcased their crossover line up with the Uni-T, Uni-K, CS35 and CS55, but the notable addition was the public launch of the new CS15.
The new CS15 retails for just under 800k (with a special offer that knocks down the price to 750k) and brings with it a lot of features that customers want in a small, efficient, and affordable mini crossover.
Perhaps the booth that was a challenge to explore was Suzuki, as people flocked over to check out their vehicles such as the Dzire, S-Presso, and the two Jimnys.
Yes, the Jimny took center stage as Suzuki now offers both the 3-door variant as well as the slightly longer 5-door variant for customers that want to off-road with a bit more space available.
MIAS certainly has a lot of electrified vehicles on the floor, and that goes for Chery too. They had a purely electrified lineup at their booth with the two PHEVs: the Tiggo 8 Pro as well as the Tiggo 7 Pro.But the standout has to be the Chery EQ7 pure electric vehicle.
If you want to try out Chery’s model range, parent company UAAGI actually set up a special course that simulates the capabilities of their vehicles outside.
But if there’s a brand that you would want to test on that course, it’ll be BAIC. They have re-emerged at MIAS as part of the UAAGI group, and they launched several new models such as the B40, B60, and B80.They also have some other new models on display as UAAGI wants to expand their portfolio of automotive brands… and yes, there are more.
Motor Image’s home show really is MIAS, as they have been a mainstay here for its near 2 decade existence. They have their full line up with the WRX, BRZ, Forester and the Crosstrek (formerly XV), but what is new is the Outback XT with the 2.4L turbo engine.
And as always, precision driver Russ Swift is in the back of WTC pulling all your favorite stunts in the tightest of places.
Astara made a big impression at the show, as they brought all their brands out for everyone to check out. Headlining their effort is GAC, and many gravitated towards models such as the GS8 SUV, the newly launched M6 Pro MPV, the luxurious M8 minivan, the fun GS3 Emzoom and Empow, and the new Emkoo… with a hybrid powertrain.
GAC also had some models on display at the SMX; yes, they are at WTC and SMX.
Astara is relaunching the JMC brand with a pair of trucks, and you can see both at MIAS WTC and SMX. The rugged option is the JMC Vigus; a pick-up truck that is readyto be put to work. The other option is the more upscale and upmarket Grand Avenue pick-up.
Peugeot didn’t have any launches at MIAS, but they showcased their models both at SMX and WTC with the 3008 and 5008. Perhaps at the 2025 edition, we’ll see some exciting things from Peugeot Philippines.
The latest brand at the Astara Pavilion (also both at SMX and WTC) is JAC. This brand has a rather expansive model range right off the bat, as they will be offering several SUVs and even pick-up trucks into the market.
The JS4, JS6, JS8 PRO, T8 PRO and T9 are on display, but the vehicle a lot of people seem to be checking out at the WTC booth is the Ytterby: a diminutive EV that is rated for either 400 kilometers or 500 kilometers depending on variant.
Given that some brands went to SMX, that allowed other brands to get bigger displays to impress the crowd. Such was the case at Nissan as their big booth featured their entire line up with the Terra, Navara, Patrol, Almera, Leaf, Kicks e-Power, a beautiful blue Z and a bright red GT-R.
The true showcase for Nissan at MIAS was twofold: the first is the Ariya that took center stage at WTC. We got a chance to drive this pure EV a few months ago, and yes it is impressive.
The other is Nissan’s overlanding showcase just outside. Check out how they unlocked the overlanding excursion potential by customizing the Nissan Urvan at MIAS.
It was Jetour’s time to shine at MIAS as they turned heads with the some pretty cool launches. Firstly, they showed off the Jetour Dashing. This vehicle is proving to be a popular one in the market with its price and good looks, and now they’ve added the PHEV version… albeit in very limited quantities.
The other was definitely the T2: a vehicle that is undoubtedly born out of parent company Chery’s partnership with Land Rover in China. Yes, it comes with a lot of tech and capability, but at a far lower price.
GWM Philippines was a bit conservative at their MIAS booth in 2023, but not in 2024. They’re out to make a point, and they brought some pretty significant previews and launches for our market. They already have the Tank 300, but they showed off the new Menglong (final name pending) PHEV. They also have the Wey luxury minivan but in PHEV form as well.
Perhaps the biggest announcement at MIAS is the pricing of the Ora 03 (AKA Cat). The entry grade model is just under PHP 1.3 million while the longer range variant is just below PHP 1.8 million.
A few surprises were certainly happening over at Hyundai. A lot of ladies started cheering when their brand ambassador Mr. P came along, but the car enthusiasts among us definitely paid more attention to the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Elantra N.
Yes, the Elantra N is here. And they even brought in a race car version for the crowd to check out.
Chevrolet has had an interesting couple of years, but now they’re going big again with not one but two showcases at MIAS. At SMX Chevrolet has an SUV line up with Trax and Trailblazer, but leading the way is undoubtedly the Camaro… both the latest and the first generations.
At WTC, they have the same thing going on, but they’ve got the first and current generations of the venerable Corvette line up.
UAAGI is really setting the stage for the future because they just held the first public event with their new brand: Lynk&Co. Yes, they made a lot of noise at MIAS during their launch.
Geely’s upmarket automobile marque is now in the Philippines and they just launched the 01, 05 and 06 with great pricing. These crossovers will banner Lynk&Co moving forward, but they also held a preview of a very interesting car with serious performance: the 03+.
Without a doubt, MG really took the show by storm even though they were not in the WTC. That’s because SAIC Motor Philippines really want to push the MG brand forward, and they did it by doing what a carmaker should: launch and preview a lot of models.
The MG ZS EV, MG3 hatchback, Cyberster, MG7 midsize sedan, RX9 SUV, Mifa 9 luxury minivan, upgraded G50 (formerly Maxus), and the luxurious IM LS7 all debuted at the show as either a market launch, start of orders, or preview. MG is a brand to look at in the next few months and years.
Just a few weeks prior to MIAS, new player Hycan entered the Philippines. Not much is known yet about Hycan, but they did launch three vehicles at MIAS with the A06plus sport sedan, the Z03 crossover, and the V09 luxury van.
Another newcomer to the local market is Seres: a Chinese automaker that specializes in electrified vehicles. They entered the market with the Seres 5 EV and the Seres 7 range entender hybrid EV.
If there’s an auto brand in MIAS that is proud about their Chinese origins, it has to be Hongqi. They’ve been offering electric and hybrid vehicles in the case of E-HS9, HQ9 and more. At MIAS 2024, they launched the new HS3 compact SUV. The new model has a very unique look about it and retails for PHP 1.98 million.
For the last year, Chery sub brands Omoda and Jaecoo has been embarking on a campaign to get everyone talking about their models even though the cars weren’t even in the country yet. And despite many delays, they are finally in full scale metal at MIAS 2024.
Omoda and Jaecoo are the two newest brands having been established in 2022 and 2023 respectively. They brought in an all SUV line up with the Omoda 5, the Jaecoo 7 and Jaecoo 8.
At MIAS, Foton is showing us a transformation of sorts. Yes, they have their staple models with the Tornado and Transvan, but they had way more than that as UAAGI is now offering Foton’s line of new EVs with the Transvan EV van, the Harabas EV light truck, and the Thunder EV pick-up.
The vehicles at Foton that really stole the show, however, are the two Tunland pick-ups with the V7 and V9 hybrid. Both are far larger and more upmarket trucks than we’re used to with Foton, but these certainly hold a lot of promise because of the sheer size and space you get.
Yes, MIAS 2024 is the biggest we’ve ever experienced, and that’s thanks to a lot of new players entering the market. Many will notice that the vast majority of the brands present at the show are Chinese, but they have been very proactive and want to make a good impression here. It will be interesting to see what effect this change will have on the offerings of the established brands in the Philippines, but we like to see is healthy competition that drives everyone to be better.
And if this year’s MIAS is anything to go by, change really is coming.
