Volkswagen is gone. By the end of this year, some Honda dealers will be, too – or at least will be greatly affected by ACMobility’s decision to part ways with the Japanese automaker.
That’s two major automotive names bowing out of Ayala Corporation’s ACMobility group in quick succession. Add KTM and Maxus to the casualty list, and you start to wonder if Ayala really has the appetite — or even the DNA — to play the car game.
Cracks in the Garage
On paper, Ayala still has a foothold. It holds equity in Isuzu, one of the country’s perennial top sellers, and continues to push Kia and BYD under the AC Mobility banner. But even here, the ground isn’t as firm as it looks.
Isuzu has always been Ayala’s anchor in the truck and commercial vehicle game, but even anchors can drag. The brand is strong, no doubt, but the market around it is shifting fast. Electrified fleets, new mobility players, and overlapping products in Ayala’s own stable make the footing less solid than it used to be. The challenge isn’t whether Isuzu is strong — it’s whether Ayala can keep it that way while juggling everything else in its garage.
Kia, meanwhile, has the products but not the momentum. Hyundai has stolen the spotlight with its reinvigorated dealer network and marketing push, leaving Kia stuck in the shadows of what it could be.
Betting the House on BYD
The real play, of course, is BYD. Ayala is throwing the bulk of its resources, attention, and marketing firepower at the Chinese EV powerhouse. And why not? BYD is hot right now — a global juggernaut delivering cutting-edge tech and models that can go toe-to-toe with the best in the industry.
But here’s the catch: BYD doesn’t just fight Tesla, MG, or the Japanese hybrids. Its lineup eats into the same customer base Ayala’s other brands rely on. A Seal or Dolphin doesn’t only lure EV-first buyers; it directly competes with Kia’s bread-and-butter crossovers. Even Isuzu feels the squeeze, as BYD’s electrified trucks and fleet solutions creep into commercial segments once firmly theirs.
So while BYD might be Ayala’s bread and butter, it’s also the knife cutting into its own pantry.
Not Their Kind of Hustle
The hard truth is that cars aren’t like condos or credit lines. They don’t move on boardroom strategy or glossy presentations. They run on dealership hustle, aftersales grit, brand love, car clubs, track days, and online communities that live and die by how a brand shows up.
Ayala excels at building empires. But car culture is fueled by retail passion, not corporate polish. Without that, even the strongest brands can stall.
