Ambulances, pickups, vans, and trucks made by Foton Motors, the number one commercial vehicle manufacturer in China, are now servicing many sectors of the Philippine community, pushed by an established reputation, functional style – and its competitive prices.

In fact, one of these vehicles, the Foton MPX Van, has already won an award from the Car Award Group Inc. which cited it as the Best Multi-Purpose Van (MPV) in 2009.

Another Foton vehicle – the View Ambulance Van – is slowly replacing the ambulances of the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office (PCSO). Foton Motors Philippines recently delivered 975 View Ambulances to the PCSO.

The award and the new ambulance vans speak well of the marketing efforts of the new company distributing Foton vehicles here. Foton Motors Philippines (FMP) was established only in December 2006. FMP, operated by United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (UAAGI), is headed by Rommel Sytin, as president.

Another Foton vehicle also making its way to the heavy-user market is the Blizzard pick-up. The practical pickups are now being used in government agencies like the MMDA, Philippine Army, local water districts, and local government units.

Last week, a group of motoring journalists from the Philippines vistied the Foton Motors headquarters in Beijing, and toured two huge assembly plants to learn about China’s biggest commercial vehicle maker.

Foton Motors’ reputation in China and around the world (it is the second largest commercial vehicle maker in the world and the largest in Asia) has much to do with the market acceptance of a Chinese brand in the Philippine market. In 2009, Foton sold 600,000 units and in 2010, the company aims a sales and manufacturing volume of 800,000 to one million units! The target will not be difficult to achieve with the company’s cooperation agreements with Mercedes-Benz, Cummins, AVL Austria, BOSCH Germany, Lotus UK, MIM Japan, and Motorola U.S. In 2009, Foton and Daimler entered into at cooperation agreement on commercial vehicles to establish a medium/heavy truck joint venture in China.

The largest Cummins engine manufacturing plant sprawls in the Foton headquarters compound in Changping District in the outskirts of Beijing. It produces 400,000 engines a year, or more than 1,000 engines a day.

The Foton products that are distributed in the Philippines are: Blizzard Turbo 4x2 and 4x4 pickup; View Ambulance Van and the View 15-seater van; MPX vans with captain’s seats. The truck models in the local market are the Hurricane cab and chassis, drop-side and aluminum van; the Tornado Series 3.5L, 2.5 and 2; the Cyclone, Wind, and Mini Coach. Competitive prices are pushing the products into the market. The Blizzard pickups 4x2 is priced at P673,000 and the 4x4 is at P890,000. The MPX vans are from P999,000 to P1,039,000. The 15-seater View Van is priced at P888,000.

Building the brand in the Philippines is the United Asia Automotive Group Inc. led by Rommel Sytin as president. The company, better known as Foton Motors Philippines, is an affiliate of the United Auctioneers Inc., the biggest auction company in the Philippines which operates at the Subic Freeport. UAI chairman Dominic Sytin, puts the perspective on the Chinese vehicles when he met with Foton officials in Beijing last week: “The time for selling Chinese commercial vehicles in the Philippines has arrived,” he said.

Indeed, it has, as Foton Motors Philippines has shown how they can make the market notice, buy and even give an award to Foton vehicles. And soon, the company will open a manufacturing plant in Subic to assemble Foton vehicles for both local and export markets.

At present, FMP has 14 dealerships and 90 accredited service centers nationwide. The FMP showroom and main office is in Balintawak, Quezon City.