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TOYOTA Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC) launched on Monday improved
versions of its top-selling international innovative multipurpose
vehicles (IMVs), which, according to officials, are revving up the
Japanese carmaker’s sales in the country.
Hiroshi Ito, TMPC president, said the IMV
lineup, which includes the Innova, Fortuner and Hilux models, are
among the best-selling in the Philippines.
“Since they were launched in the Philippines
more than three years ago, IMVs became catalysts of sales growth in
their respective segments,” he said.
The Innova, he said, has been the top-selling
vehicle in the last three consecutive years, with already 6,729
units sold in the first eight months this year. Innova units are
assembled in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Rommel Gutierrez, TMPC vice president for
corporate affairs, said the Santa Rosa facility can assemble 1,000
to 1,200 Innova units per month, which fulfills local sales
requirements.
Ito said the Fortuner model is the most popular
sports utility vehicle in the local market, and is among the top
five best-selling vehicles in the country in the last two years. The
company has sold 3,563 units of Fortuner in the first eight months
of this year.
The executive said sales of Hilux grew to an
average of 200 units per month, with sales of 1,529 units so far
this year.
Combined sales of the top three models reached
73,000 since they were introduced three years ago, Kaoru Hosokawa,
IMV series chief engineer.
IMVs already compose more than 30 percent of
TMPC sales so far this year, Gutierrez said.
He said the newly launched Innova is expected to
sell around 1,000 units per month; the Fortuner, about 500 units;
and Hilux, 300 units.
The company said its IMV line is expected to
further reinforce its number one position in the commercial vehicle
segment, as the IMVs introduction in 2005 resulted in TMPC’s
maintaining an above 34-percent share of the market.
Gutierrez said TMPC expects to hit, if not
surpass, its sales target of 48,000 to 50,000 units this year,
adding that the automotive industry could also hit 125,500 units
this year.
-- Ben Arnold O. de Vera
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