Honda, Ayala end partnership after 35 years

For many Filipino car owners, the Ayala Group and Honda have long been linked. It was 1990 when Ayala, through its automotive arm ACMobility, opened Honda Cars Makati, the brand’s very first dealership in the country. That move eventually grew into a network that sold more than 220,000 vehicles and became Honda’s largest dealer group in the Philippines.

That chapter is now ending.

In a joint announcement, ACMobility and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) said the nine Honda dealerships under Ayala will be turned over to new operators starting 1 January 2026. Until 31 December 2025, Ayala’s Iconic Dealership Inc. (IDI) will continue to manage the branches in Makati, Pasig, Shaw, Bacoor, Cebu, Mandaue, Iloilo, Negros and Cagayan de Oro.

Both companies assured customers that day-to-day business would remain uninterrupted. Active reservations, service appointments, warranty support, and after-sales care will all continue, with staff directly contacting affected clients.

HCPI president Rie Miyake thanked Ayala for its role in Honda’s growth in the country. “We thank Ayala for their invaluable contribution over the past 35 years,” she said. “As we work closely with our new dealer principals, we are fully committed to ensuring a seamless transition while upholding Honda’s legacy of excellence, innovation, and outstanding customer service.”

ACMobility’s chief executive, Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, said the group is focusing on new growth areas, particularly in electrification. “This transition reflects our ongoing effort to optimize our portfolio and focus on sustainable mobility,” he said.

The decision comes not long after ACMobility dropped Volkswagen and Maxus from its portfolio. Today, the group is concentrating on distributing and retailing BYD and Kia, operating Bosch Car Service, and expanding its electric vehicle charging network.

Honda, meanwhile, is moving forward with its own plans. The company, which once assembled cars locally in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, before shifting to fully imported units in 2020, is doubling down on electrification and safety technologies. It continues to push long-term goals of carbon neutrality and zero collisions.

The Ayala-Honda partnership spanned more than three decades and saw the rise of models like the Civic, City, and CR-V, which became staples on Philippine roads. For many families, buying a Honda from an Ayala dealership was a rite of passage.

As the industry moves into an era defined by EVs and new mobility solutions, the two companies will be taking separate paths. But both stress that for customers, it’s business as usual.

At the end of the day, the dealership signage may change, but the cars in the showroom and the service bays will still bear the familiar “H” badge that built its reputation on reliability and trust.