Philippine Auto Sales Up 14.8% in 4 Months

The auto industry recorded a 14.8-percent sales increase during the first four months of this year due to a continued strong demand for commercial vehicles.

“The Philippine auto industry thus far, is bucking the general trend seen in other countries such as the US, where rising fuel prices coupled with a softening economy resulted in a downward trend in commercial vehicle sales,” Elizabeth H. Lee, president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) said.

From January to April, auto sales reached 39,981 units of which 11,078 units were sold in April alone.

Commercial vehicles continue to dominate the local market covering 66 percent of total vehicle sales nationwide.

During the four-month period, sales of commercial vehicles went up by 16.2 percent due to a sustained growth in demand for pickup trucks, vans and compact SUVs.

Sales of light commercial vehicles went up to 14,996 during the four-month period.

“Such increase is attributed to the shift in consumers’ preference to diesel-fed models brought about by the increase in fuel price. We expect sales to continue rising in the coming months,” Lee said.

On the other hand, sales of passenger cars went down by 1.4 percent to only 3,691 units.

Despite the downturn in passenger car sales, Lee said industry outlook remains positive as auto players continue to support sales with dealer incentives promos.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remains the number one seller, capturing 35.4 percent of total market.

Far second was Mitsubishi Motors Philippines with a 13.4-percent share followed closely by Honda Cars Philippines Inc. with 13.2 percent.

The industry projects continued strong growth in this segment with value-for-money conscious buyers given current, temporary economic conditions

“We forecast sales to continue to be strong in the coming months. Strong sales of pickup trucks, vans, and c-wagon vehicles sustain the momentum of this segment,” Lee said.

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio, Philippine Star Source

Philippine Vehicle Car Sales Jump 14.3% in Jan-Feb 2008

The auto industry continued to post strong sales figures this year as it chalked up double-digit growth in the first two months.

A joint report by the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) showed that their combined January and February sales went up 14.3 percent compared with the same period a year ago.

“Continued growth is still expected in the coming months amidst political noise tempered by relatively stable economic numbers coupled with the strength of the peso,” Elizabeth H. Lee, CAMPI president, said in a statement.

For the month of February alone, the industry sold a total of 9,472 motor vehicle units, with commercial vehicles still dominating sales.

Commercial vehicle sales made up 68 percent of sales while passenger cars accounted for the remaining 32 percent.

CAMPI and TMA pointed out that the popularity of using vehicles in business is catching on with sales of pickups, vans and Asian utility vehicles (AUV) growing at a faster pace.

Lee noted, however, that passenger car sales increased 19 percent in February and is expected to get bigger in the coming months.

She attributed the robust growth to promotional activities of dealers and rapid sales of new models introduced last year.

In February, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. still occupied the biggest share of total auto sales with a 39.54-percent market share. In far second was Honda Cars Philippines Inc. with a 13.04-percent share while Mitsubishi Motors Philippines placed third with 12.98 percent.

Meanwhile, commercial vehicle sales for February increased by 12 percent to fuel another good start for the largest category in the market.

Lee said new models introduced last year boosted sales for February with total sales of 6,349 units or an 8.6 percent growth compared to January.

“We forecast sales to continue to be strong in the coming months. Strong sales of pickup trucks, vans and c-wagon vehicles sustain the momentum of this segment,” she noted.

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio

Automotive Car Sales Surged 17% in January 2008

he local automotive industry sold a total of 8,808 units in January, up 17 percent year-on-year from 7,520 units.

“It is a good showing for the industry to jump-start the year with a strong growth. We forecast sales to continue to be strong in the coming months,” said Elizabeth Lee, president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc., in a report.

Official data from Campi showed that passenger car sales grew 28.5 percent last month on year those of while commercial vehicles climbed 12 percent.

Commercial vehicles, however, continue to dominate sales with a market share of almost 70 percent.

Lee said January sales against the December level fell due to seasonality. December sales usually has the highest monthly registered figure because of increased holiday spending.

She said sales in the passenger car segment were expected to remain robust in the coming months. Lee said the strong interest in new car models introduced last year translated into higher sales last month.

Car sales in January hit 2,964 units, up 28 percent from 2,307 units in January last year.

Commercial vehicles dominated sales with a double-digit growth of 12 percent, a good start for the largest category in the market. A total of 5,844 units were sold in this category against 5,213 units in the same period last year.

Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. continued to dominate the market with a total of 3,001 units sold, translating into a market share of 34 percent.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. followed at the second spot with 1,476 units sold and a corresponding market share of 16.76 percent.

At third was Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 1,144 units and a market share of 12.99 percent.

Korean car maker Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. sold 776 units for a market share of 8.81 percent.

Ford Motor Co. Philippines Inc. rounded up the list of five top car makers in terms of sales with 600 units sold in January and a market share of 6.81 percent.

Sales of Asian utility vehicles declined by 35.8 percent mainly due to seasonality.

Isuzu Car Sales Up By 20% in 2007

In 2007, Isuzu Philippines Corp. continued to be a strong force to be reckoned with in the commercial vehicles (CV) segment, as it improved its sales tally in 2007 by 20 percent from the previous year, according to official sales figures released by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines. In particular, Isuzu’s light- to heavy-duty trucks continued to lord it over the field, making Isuzu the clear choice for Filipino companies when it comes to business and industrial vehicles.

According to the combined 2007 CAMPI-TMA sales report, Isuzu’s light-duty trucks dominated Category 3, selling a total of 1,101 units for a 58.7-percent share of the market. This marks the 10th consecutive year that the Isuzu N-Series has topped its class. In Category 4, the Isuzu F-Series medium-duty truck sold 229 units, accounting for an overwhelming 78.4 percent of the market. In Category 5 (18 tons and up), Isuzu’s heavy-duty truck was likewise dominant as it cornered 60 percent of its market.

Meanwhile, Isuzu’s passenger commercial vehicles also enjoyed a fruitful year in 2007. The Crosswind AUV—buoyed by the market’s unwavering confidence in its reputation as a reliable workhorse and comfortable family vehicle that offers good value for money—sold 5,386 units last year, a substantial 14-percent increase from its 4,718-unit tally in 2006. The D-Max pickup—thanks to the introduction of the Global D-Max that features the new 4JJI common-rail diesel engine—enjoyed a very good year as it sold 2,143 units, a remarkable 59-percent increase from its 2006 total of 1,346 units.

Due to this solid sales performance, Isuzu’s overall sales in 2007 amounted to 9,770 units, or 13 percent of the total CV market. This represents an impressive 20-percent increase compared to Isuzu’s total sales of 8,144 units in 2006. The phenomenal sales increase is the highest in the company’s 10-year history in the country, and is in fact, even higher than the total sales growth of the whole local auto industry last year.

IPC president Keiji Takeda attributes this sales success to “Isuzu’s strong brand image and proven status as a leader in diesel-engine technology.” He adds that although IPC has a specialized product lineup—commercial vehicles only—Isuzu still managed to increase and capture a sizeable market share, thanks to the company’s reputation as a maker of durable, reliable, fuel-efficient and environment-friendly vehicles. “The year 2007 was indeed very special for us as we also commemorated our 10th inaugural anniversary and achieved our 100,000th vehicle unit in both production and sales.”

For 2008, Isuzu has set its sight on continuously strengthening its existing CV product line. One thing going for IPC is its firm grasp of the needs and wants of discriminating Filipino motorists. The company continues to invest in extensive market research just to determine the vehicle features that prove to be truly valuable and indispensable to Filipino consumers.

“Our valued customers can be rest assured that we will continue our efforts to develop and supply leading-edge products from a global standpoint,” declares IPC president Takeda. “We will utilize our strengths as a top-class automaker so we may continue to contribute to the well-being of the environment and the economy.”