Vehicle sales decline 2.4% to 71,506 units

VEHICLE sales dipped 2.4 percent 71,506 units in the seven months to July 2009 from 73,290 in the same period last year, preliminary figures showed yesterday.

The number of commercial vehicles sold also declined, and by 4 percent to 46,254 units from 48,072 last year, said Elizabeth Lee, president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.

But the number of passenger cars sold rose marginally to 25,252 units from 25,218, she said.

“Promotions and marketing campaigns by assemblers and distributors and the availability of flexible auto financing terms have enabled the industry to book sales despite the difficult economic environment,” she said earlier.

Month on month, vehicle sales rose slightly to 11,597 units in July from 10,908 units in June, Lee said

Toyota Motor Philippines sold 24,546 units—nearly four out of every seven vehicles sold—but the total was down nearly 2,000 units from the 26,414 it sold last year.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. placed second with 12,959 units, an increase of over 50 percent from 8,635 last year.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc., at third, also booked higher sales of 10,191 units, an increase of over 30 percent from 7,679 last year.

Toyota sold 6,417 units of its compact sedan Vios, the top seller, followed by the Innova multi-purpose vehicle at 5,590.

Honda sold 5,166 units of its compact sedan City.

Lee said buyers appeared to be preferring more affordable vehicles that used less fuel. –Elaine Ramos Alanguilan, Manila Standard Today