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Volkswagen PH ushers in new president with big plans for 2019 and beyond

By Randy
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March 3, 2019

Volkswagen Philippines, which runs under AC Automotive, and is the official distributor of Volkswagen vehicles in the Philippines, has formally introduced its new president in an evening event held last February 28.

Taking over the captain’s seat from John Philip Orbeta, Felipe Estrella III assumes the role as the new leader of Volkswagen Philippines, and is poised to steer the brand to new heights this year and for the years to come. Joining the Ayala Corporation in 2010, Estrella has shown the capabilities as a leader, especially during his 2017 stint as the Chief Finance Officer of AC Industrials, the governing body of AC Automotive.

It can be said that Estrella’s captaincy of Volkswagen Philippines came at an opportune time as the brand was experiencing notable strides to move forward during the 2nd half of 2018, all while facing the said year’s tough business challenges.

Looking back, Volkswagen Philippines left 2018 with a refreshed line up of models that would compete with the Japanese- and Korean-dominated automotive market. These models include the Lamando compact sedan, Lavida compact sedan, Santana subcompact sedan, Santana GTS subcompact station wagon, and the latest Tiguan SUV (formally classified as a crossover).

What’s great about these VWs is the way the brand tinkered with the prices, making the said models even more competitive. As an example, the Santana 1.4 MT can be had for a noteworthy price of P686,000, a price point that can rival the Toyota Vios 1.3 MT which is only cheaper by P27,000.

As he assumes the lead role, Estrella shared some of his plans in the pipeline to propel Volkswagen Philippines to greater feats this year and beyond. In this regard, he was quoted as saying, “I am confident we can achieve this. We have the five new distinctive models, the afters ales services and warranties, and we plan to expand our current network of 8 dealerships by adding at least four more. We hope that our products, aftersales service, and new and existing dealerships will greatly add to the buying public's own affinity for our brand, and will even attract more segments of the market. I myself can't wait to get these plans up and running. In fact, tomorrow morning, March 1, I will be heading straight to Laguna province to personally visit our 9th and soon-to-open dealership, Volkswagen in Santa Rosa City.”

He added that Volkswagen Philippines will be cooking up a storm in the next few months with a slew of new models to be launched. He, however, kept it all under wraps, ready to be announced in the right time.

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About the Author

Randolph de Leon
Randy is a person with disability (PWD), a partially-blinded person with only his left eye functioning. Since childhood, the automobile has always been his passion, and is able to express it through photography and most recently, through writing as well. Outside the motoring beat, Randy spends time manning the media aspect of his business which he co-founded with his sister/college classmate. It's called Dragonlight Wellness and Solutions, a multi-business venture centering on improving peoples' lives through earning.