MIAS 20: What we saw at the 2025 Manila International Auto Show
MIAS: As packed as it has ever been on 20th anniversary
It was a dream in 2005 to have a large and grand motor show in the Philippines, but that dream is still alive in 2025. Yes, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Manila International Auto Show, and it is now open to the public.
As an annual mainstay of the local automotive industry, the World Trade Center in Pasay City is once again home to over 22 new and established auto brands showing off their latest vehicles and the latest technologies for mobility.
MIAS is a launchpad for the major players in the industry, and is a much-awaited event for brand-new car buyers. Participating brands showcase what they have and set up large outdoor test drive areas for showgoers to try. And being a large consumer-driven event, there were exclusive financing deals and special discounts being rolled out by both the brands and their partner banks at the show.
That being said, we’ll break it down and share what you can expect once you arrive at WTC for the 2025 edition of MIAS. Oh, and don't forget to bring a little personal fan. It got a little warm at the show thanks to the many LED lights.
At the front of the venue, MIAS welcomes you with an array of restored classics along with some tuner cars like the Honda S2000, the Nissan Z Nismo, and its forefather, the Datsun 240Z.
Once you make your way inside the WTC lobby, there’s the ticket booth, the other participating vehicles at the MIAS-Petron Classic Car Competition, and spaces for the show’s partner banks. But of course, the main attraction is the brand booths waiting for you at the main hall.
Enter from the left wing, and the Jetour booth will welcome you with their all-SUV lineup. Front and center is the newly launched Jetour T2 Lightning i-DM PHEV wearing the panda colors. The PHP 2.488-million SUV gets a dose of electrification as it’s now capable of covering up to 100 km of range in EV mode and can do over 1,000 km with a full tank if the range is combined with its 1.5-liter turbo engine.
Beside Jetour is where you’ll find the GAC Motor booth. Much like the former, GAC is starting to roll out electrified models in its lineup. It began with the Emkoo Hybrid, but now they intend to follow it up with the preview of the M8 PHEV. The luxury MPV gains an all-electric range, and GAC has an indicative pricing of under PHP 4.3 million.
On the leftmost side, though, you’ll see the ACMobility corner with the BYD and Kia brands. The Ayala subsidiary has been positioning itself as a leader in electric mobility solutions, with BYD making a lot of waves in the new energy vehicle segment lately. Most of its competitors from the PRC have been trying to match up in terms of both value and performance, but this time, BYD has entered the 7-seater MPV segment with the all-new eMAX 7.
Starting at PHP 1.498 million, it’s currently one of the first MPVs in the country with an all-electric powertrain. Along with the MPV’s launch, BYD also has its best sellers on display – the Seagull, Shark, Sealion 6, and the Seal 5. The Kia lineup, on the other hand, is a diverse one with an ICE, two turbo hybrids, and a full EV with the Sonet, Carnival, Sorento, and EV9.
Just across the Kia booth is Foton, showing off its mild hybrid pickup truck in the Tunland V7. As a trusted brand in the commercial vehicle segment, Foton also chose MIAS as the venue to launch the Wonder mini pickup truck and showcase the new diesel-powered Traveller Sierra commercial van along with its EV variant.
Vietnam’s VinFast is one of the show’s newcomers this year, and they are right beside the Foton booth. For their debut in MIAS, they have their all-electric lineup on display with the VF3, the VF5, the VF7, the VF9, and their latest addition, the VF6 subcompact EV.
On the far left side of the main hall are the brands ROX, BAIC, Chery, and Suzuki. The latter has launched the all-new Dzire to the Philippine market, but we’re not quite sure how the model will be received by customers with its starting price of PHP 920,000.
Chery, on the other hand, has revealed a new brand slogan called “Love your Journey” for the Philippine market under brand head Franz Decloedt. In their pavilion, there’s a four-car lineup that consists of the recently launched Tiggo 2 Pro, the new Tiggo Cross subcompact SUV that costs under PHP 1 million, a preview of the PHP 1.188 million Tiggo Grand Tour, and the electrified Tiggo ReV C-DM 7-seater that’s priced at PHP 1.648 million.
The SUV-oriented brands in ROX and BAIC had different setups for their booths. ROX brought out two variants of the 01 SUV, while BAIC rolled out the all-new B40 Trail Master and an electrified version of the B60 Beaumont. The scene stealer, however, is the BAIC B80 that was dressed up like a baller Brabus G Wagon.
If you enter from the right wing, then you’ll have Changan, MG, and Nissan welcoming you into the main hall. Changan Auto is looking to make its mark in the new energy vehicle segment, as the newly launched Nevo Hunter K50 plug-in hybrid pickup truck, the Nevo Q05 PHEV compact crossover, the Nevo A05 PHEV sedan, and the cute Lumin EV don’t just have striking looks. They also have the necessary hardware, but more importantly, Changan Auto has competitively priced all four.
MG chose MIAS as more of a preview or a first glimpse of what they could offer to the market soon. SUV buyers will take note of the MG D90, a 7-seater PPV with a turbodiesel under the hood, and the ZS HEV – the electrified successor of the nameplate that established the MG name in the country.
Nissan is one of the few Japanese brands present at MIAS, but they definitely have the crowd’s attention with the public debut of the all-new Patrol Y63. In fact, a lot of spectators maximized the chance to fully experience the flagship SUV, as Nissan recorded over 20 test drive customers on the opening day alone.
Inside the main hall, though, the all-new Patrol is flanked by the Terra and Navara. Fun fact: Nissan Philippines is celebrating its 55th year in the country, which is why it made one-off versions of the Terra and Navara. It was tastefully dressed up with side decals and R/T tires on aftermarket wheels that enthusiasts will appreciate.
As you walk further inside, past the Nissan booth, the newcomers Aito and Bestune show how diverse vehicle styles can be. Bestune has the Pony mini EV with pastel colors and youthful styling, while Aito’s lineup of SUVs looks really sharp and sophisticated, with the M9 flagship leading the way.
GWM returns to MIAS this year with its sights set on making a greater presence in the Philippine market. The Cannon pickup truck is one of the brand’s best sellers in the country, and they want to keep the momentum going by introducing a new update to the 4x4 variants. The Cannon 4x4 now comes with a bigger 2.4-liter turbodiesel engine, a new dashboard design, and a refreshed look that makes the truck more appealing than ever at PHP 1.498 million for the top-spec SLux.
While it already has crossovers in its lineup and a rugged SUV in the Tank 300, GWM is now tapping into the 7-seater premium SUV segment with the Haval H9. It has a boxy design with plenty of off-road tech features, plus it has a turbodiesel engine similar to the Cannon. GWM says the launch could happen this year.
Lynk & Co is now under the Zeekr Technology Group in China, and the effect is now being felt in the Philippine market. From initially offering ICEs and plug-in hybrids, their first compact BEV has made its way to the country with the Lynk & Co 02. At an introductory price of PHP 1.738 million, the 02 EV has its sights set on competing against the BYD Atto 3.
The brand under the distributorship of UAAGI has also previewed the Lynk & Co 08 EM-P. Adopting the brand’s more upscale design language, the 08 is Lynk & Co’s upcoming plug-in hybrid crossover for the midsize segment. Believe us when we say it speaks a lot of premium, both inside and out.
Omoda and Jaecoo arrived this time at MIAS with a booth full of cars right from the start. As expected they have the Omoda C5 and Jaecoo EJ6 there, but their new vehicle launch comes iis the Jaecoo J7 PHEV. That means there’s now an ICE, a plug-in hybrid, and a full EV in the Omoda and Jaecoo lineup.
Hyundai does like to give a few surprises when they participate at MIAS. This time, they used the show to reintroduce Elantra sedan outside of the high performance N version which has been in the market for a while now. The base Elantra starts at PHP 1.065 million for the 1.6 Gas, the hybrid version starts at 1.480 million, but if you want to be all sporty with the Elantra, there’s the N Line variant for PHP 1.795 million. Of course, the hardcore Elantra N is also present, but it’s the standard versions that customers in the PH market are more familiar with.
Tesla and Isuzu are situated across the Hyundai booth, holding their respective show debuts for their latest models like the Model 3 EV for Tesla and the refreshed mu-X for Isuzu.
Lastly, the East Wing of the World Trade Center is the aftermarket side of MIAS. There are tools, tires, lifters, air fresheners, and even die-cast scale models – basically all kinds of automotive budol you can think of and possibly bring home after the show.
As you’ve probably noticed, it’s the third time that the majority of brands present are Chinese, and all are out to make a good impression in the market with the pricing and the amount of tech the cars are packing. Some established brands seem to be responding to the rise of Chinese competitors. But at the end of the day, it’s the consumer that wins when the competition in the market is this lively.
