HyundaiPH opens Commercial Vehicle dealership in Cainta

A show of force for transport modernization. Hyundai and national and local government officials are one for Cainta’s advancement. At the grand launch of Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cainta (HTB-Cainta) were (L-R) HTB-Cainta General Manager Jonathan Qua, Cainta Municipal Administrator Angel Talaga, LICA Auto Group COO Doroteo Sornet, Shaw Automotive Resources, Inc. VP for Operations Nanette Alonzo, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) President & CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, HARI Chairman Edward S. Go, and HMC CV Europe & Asia Pacific Team Leader Man Yong Han.

The inauguration of Hyundai’s newest commercial vehicle dealership, Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cainta (HTB-Cainta), was a fitting nod to the town’s progressive spirit.

HTB Cainta opened its doors to a target clientele of national and local government officials, local businesses, and close to 20 major transport groups. The groups showed their strong support for the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) by signing their intent to order 1,200 Hyundai H-100 Modern Jeepneys Class 1, Hyundai HD50S Modern Jeepneys Class 2, and the Hyundai Modern Jeepneys Class 3.

The Class 2 Modern Jeepney is built on Hyundai’s HD50S platform and is powered by a 2.9-liter Euro 4-compliant CRDi engine that provides better fuel efficiency, reliability, and cleaner emissions. It is designed for enhanced stability and power-to-weight ratio, boasting a 3,415-millimeter wheelbase. It can accommodate 22 seated passengers as well as up to ten standing commuters.

Aboard the Hyundai HD50 S Modern Jeepney Class 2 (L-R) LICA Auto Group COO Doroteo Sornet, Cainta Municipal Administrator Angel Talaga, HMC CV Europe & Asia Pacific Team Leader Man Yong Han, HARI CV Dealer Management Section Head Don Sta. Agueda, DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, HMC CV Europe & Asia Senior Manager Jisung Yoo, Shaw Automotive Resources, Inc. VP for Operations Nanette Alonzo, and LICA Auto Group Chairman Felix Limcaoco III.

The Class 1 Modern Jeepney is engineered to comfortably seat 12 passengers and the driver. Loading cargo puts less stress on the vehicle, translating to increased fuel economy as well as a steadier drive. Powered by a 2.5L CRDi diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, it is packed with enough power (maximum output of 130ps) and torque (26 kg-m at 1,500 rpm) to efficiently move people and cargo on a daily basis. The engine also complies with Euro 4 emissions standards.

Both vehicles feature roof-mounted air conditioning, AFCS for convenient payment, Wi-Fi, GPS tracking, CCTV cameras, and speed limiters.

Hyundai’s Modern Jeepneys Class 1 and Class 2 have received the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Certificate of Compliance (COC) signifying their readiness for deployment across the country.

Alongside the inauguration was the kickoff of Negoshow One, a 3-day mobility expo that showcased Hyundai’s premium people and cargo movers. Negoshow One was patterned after Hyundai Motor Company’s (HMC) global mobility expos. Since 2018, HARI has held a series of CV mobility expos, the first of which was “Hyundai Power Solutions” held October 2018 in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

Gracing the inauguration was Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo. In his keynote address, he emphasized the DTI’s role in driving business and cited the country as an ideal market for commercial vehicles. He also commended the Hyundai HD50S Modern Jeepney Class 2 and invited the audience to check it out, recalling his childhood experience of having to hang on to a jeep to get to school on time. “I was happy to (go) inside the Class 2 of Hyundai. It is (manufactured) according to specs and is a big part of localization.”

The DTI Undersecretary underscored the importance of local transport groups in supporting locally manufactured vehicles as this would not only provide commuters a “modern, safer and convenient” ride, but also help generate more jobs and boost the local manufacturing sector’s overall competitiveness.

In response, HARI President and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo affirmed that Hyundai commercial vehicles found a perfect home in HTB Cainta. “Hyundai commercial vehicles are here to stay, housed in this brand new, full-service dealership, poised to advance every enterprise in Cainta, in Rizal province, and all the way to the fast-growing CALABARZON area.”

Close to 20 transport groups showed their strong support for the government’s PUV Modernization Program by signing their intent to order 1,200 units of Hyundai H-100 Modern Jeepneys Class 1, Hyundai HD50S Modern Jeepneys Class 2, and the Hyundai Modern Jeepneys Class 3. The MOU signing took place at the inauguration of HTB-Cainta in the presence of (L to R) LICA Auto Group COO LICA Auto Group, LICA Auto Group Chairman Felix Limcaoco III, HARI President and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, and HMC CV Europe & Asia Pacific Team Leader Manyong Han.

While HTB-Cainta dealer principal Felix “Bingo” Limcaoco, president and CEO of the LICA Group of Companies, said, “We bet big on Cainta. The East (of the Metro) has grown tremendously for industry and transportation…. We now have a hub for Hyundai (commercial vehicles) in the East, completely represented in Sales and Parts in one facility, supportive of the government’s efforts to make sure that the Filipino transport sector is provided the best products.”

Cainta is counted among the Philippines’ wealthiest municipalities and ranked by the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) as “Most Competitive” of first and second class municipalities in 2016 and 2017 and first in “economic dynamism” in 2018.