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By Katrina Mennen A. Valdez, Researcher
THE Chamber of Automotive
Manufacturer of the Philippines (Campi) said car sales this year may
turn out higher after local assemblers posted double-digit growth in
sales in the first quarter.
“Revisions should definitely be
upward, due to the good sales in the first quarter of the year,”
Elizabeth Lee, Campi president, said.
Assemblers saw sales rise 18.7
percent in the first three months of the year to 26,201 units from
22.065 in the same period last year.
Campi earlier said it expects a
3.47-percent growth in sales this year from last year’s level.
“[The] increase in [commercial
vehicle] sales compared to the same period last year is due to the
numerous exciting new model introductions this early in the year
coupled with fleet sales deliveries,” the group said.
Passenger car sales,
meanwhile, grew 9.9 percent to 9,165 units in the first quarter,
also due to the introduction of new models, dealer incentives and
existing promos.
Toyota’s flagship Asian utility
vehicle, Innova, maintained its lead in the commercial vehicle
segment as the best-selling model with 2,350 units sold for the
period.
The Japanese carmaker’s Vios
retained its lead in the passenger car segment and second overall
with 2,000 units sold. Ranking third overall was Toyota’s Fortuner,
the best-seller in the sports utility vehicle category, with 1,700
units sold.
With this, Toyota remains the
dominant player locally with 10,264 units sold in the first quarter
for a market share of 39.17 percent. It was followed by Honda with
3,999 units sold, Mitsubishi, 3,214; Isuzu, 2,360; Ford, 1,982;
Hyundai, 1,668; Universal Motors, 629; General Motors, 448;
Pilipinas Hino, 432; and Columbian Autocar, 425.
The industry hopes to breach the
100,000-unit sales mark this year and is banking on higher spending
due to the elections and the implementation of the ban on the
importation of used vehicles.
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