Pilipinas Autogroup, Inc. (PAI), the distributor of Tata Motors since 2014 and now also of Dongfeng commercial vehicles since last October, has unveiled the newly renovated storefront at their corporate headquarters in Marikina City. Their block-long building on Fernando Avenue in Marikina now features red-themed Dongfeng brand imagery, replacing the previous blue-dominated visuals for their Tata Motors brand.
PAI markets Dongfeng’s range of light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and while examples of these models were conspicuous during the unveiling, both in their stockyard and as explicit display units, these were upstaged by the brand’s take on what a modern public utility jeepney should be. Also introduced during the unveiling of their Marikina premises last month was their initial entry for the country’s modernized public utility vehicle (PUV) program.
The Dongfeng Class 2 modern PUV has the distinction of being brought in as a completely built-up (CBU) unit, this in contrast to typical rivals with bodies built by local contractors like Centro, Almazora and Santa Rosa Motors. Powered by a 113hp/260Nm Dongfeng D28D11 that’s a re-badge of a license-built and Euro IV compliant Isuzu 4JB1 2.8 liter intercooled turbodiesel, theirs is also the modern PUV with the smallest displacement diesel engine available–an advantage in crawling city traffic.
Ramping up to Dongfeng’s official launch in the country this March, according to PAI vice president and general manger Art Balmadrid, the Marikina front office joins their growing network which started off with their Cainta dealerhip in October and which was followed soon after by their stores in Tacloban, Isabela, and Pampanga. Balmadrid mentioned that the day after the Marikina unveiling last December 17, his team would be heading to Davao to finalize the agreement to secure their dealership, their sixth nationwide, in that key city.
During the unveiling last December 17 the traditional blessing of their Marikina premises brought visitors and guests through PAI’s technical service area, product training center and central parts warehouse. Balmadrid said the tour shows how PAI’s Dongfeng distributorship backstops their sales activities with strong after-sales service capabilities.
Dongfeng is the biggest truck brand in China and Balmadrid says, “the Dongfeng dealership was actually offered to us because, as you know, we are also the distributors of Tata vehicles which is also the biggest automotive brand in India.” Balmadrid who joined PAI after being senior vice president with Isuzu Philippines Corporation, the leading truckmaker in the country, added that “the price of Dongfeng compared to typical Japanese brands would be about 25 to 30 percent cheaper, and the quality itself is at par with Japanese brands.”
Shedding light on how Dongfeng attains this level of quality, Balmadrid said, ” Dongfeng vehicles are products of joint ventures with automotive giants such as Nissan, Volvo, Renault, Cummins and other well known brands.” These linkages were apparent in the other vehicles that were showcased during the unveiling.
Previewed at the December 17 unveiling was the Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile (ZNA) Rich 6 pickup truck, product of the Dongfeng group’s joint venture with Nissan. Powered by a 148PS/305Nm 2498cc inter-cooled turbo-diesel with high-pressure common rail direct injection, Euro V compliance and telematics for on-board diagnostics, the Rich 6 is apparently built on the same platform used for the Japanese brand’s bestselling Navara pickup (with both the Rich 6 and the Navara having a 3150mm wheelbase). The Nissan Navara was the top-selling pickup truck in 2019.
Also displayed and demonstrated was the Dongfeng ER30D fully electric hatchback featuring a 60kW permanent magnet motor and a driving range of over 250km with each full charge of its 30kWh battery array. The ER30’s 2450mm wheelbase argues against it being based on Nissan’s longer and globally top-selling Leaf EV but it does make it look like a slightly stretched adaptation of the 2440mm wheelbase, front-wheel-drive platform of the current-model Mirage hatchback–this OEM arrangement possibly set up through the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.