ACMobility lets go of Honda from auto dealership portfolio after 35 years
In what comes as quite a surprise, ACMobility, the automotive division and mobility arm of the Ayala Corporation, has announced that it will be ending its partnership for dealership operations with Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI).
Effective January 1, 2026, the announcement comes exactly two weeks after ACMobility announced the end of its distribution of Volkswagen vehicles in the Philippine market. It also marks the end of the 35-year relationship between one of the country’s largest conglomerates and the Japanese automaker.
Affected are all Ayala-owned Honda dealerships in the country which are currently operated by ACMobility’s Iconic Dealership, Inc. (IDI) subsidiary: Honda Cars Makati, Honda Cars Pasig, Honda Cars Shaw, Honda Cars Bacoor, Honda Cars Cebu, Honda Cars Mandaue, Honda Cars Iloilo, Honda Cars Negros, and Honda Cars Cagayan De Oro. These dealerships will remain operational, transitioning to new management under other dealer companies.
According to a statement by ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, the reasoning behind the decision to end their partnership with HCPI is to “focus on new growth areas.” This could mean prioritizing its distribution business of the Kia and BYD brands, with the latter experiencing a high amount of growth over the past year.
The Ayala Corporation’s partnership with HCPI began in 1990 with the opening of the first Honda dealership in the country, Honda Cars Makati. From there, the company grew to having the largest network of Honda dealerships, covering Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Now we’re curious, with ACMobility now clearly focusing on the aforementioned Kia and BYD brands, relinquishing distributorship of the Volkswagen, Maxus, and KTM and Husqvarna brands, will the company’s network of Isuzu dealerships follow the same fate? Only time will tell.
