PH sedan market still very strong says Chery, may launch Arrizo 8
The sedan market in the Philippines is still strong. That’s what Chery International has to say despite the continuously growing popularity of crossovers and SUVs while sedan sales go down.
During a recent one-week trip to China with Chery Auto Philippines, we had the chance to sit down and talk with Mr. Jeff Liu, Chery International’s General Manager Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific. One question asked was whether there is a chance for them to introduce the Arrizo line of sedans, specifically the Arrizo 8 midsize sedan.
Sedan sales, especially in the midsize segment have continued to drop in our market, enough for Honda Cars Philippines to discontinue local sales of the Accord and for Mazda Philippines to recently discontinue local sales of the Mazda 6 sedan, keeping its wagon variant instead. Only the Toyota Camry remains available in the segment.
Chery was able to show-off and allow us to test drive the Arrizo 8 in Wuhu, China. This model was introduced to the Chinese market in April 2022 as the brand’s new flagship sedan. If there’s one thing that all media and dealers invited by Chery Auto Philippines agree on about this vehicle, it’s that we want it in the Philippines.
Looking at its exterior, the Arrizo 8 gets aggressive cues all around with its large front grille, sharp-looking headlights connected by a horizontal bar, full-width wraparound taillights, and quad exhaust pipes. The interior also exudes class with its two-tone Ivory and blue color scheme. Of course, it features dual 12.3-inch screens, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and a Sony audio system with 8-speakers.
By the way, in terms of dimensions, the Chery Arrizo 8 sits on a 2,790 mm wheelbase while the vehicle itself has a length of 4,780 mm, width of 1,843 mm, and height of 1,469 mm. For comparison, a Toyota Camry measures at 4,880 x 1,840 x 1,450 mm.
Under the hood of the Chery Arrizo 8 is a 1.6-liter Inline 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine shared with the Tiggo 8 Pro, the brand’s current flagship offering in our market. The engine produces 197 horsepower and 290 Nm of torque, paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Do you think that launching the Chery Arrizo 8 would make sense in the Philippine market? No timeline has been provided but Chery International says that they are studying the possibility carefully.
