Vehicle sales growth target at risk

VEHICLE SALES were down 4.1% as of August from a year earlier, industry groups yesterday reported, putting more pressure on growth targets for a year marked by supply disruptions.

Seven-month sales dropped to 93,108 units from 97,122 in the same period last year, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association, Inc. said in a joint report.

Sales will have to pick up significantly in the last four months of the year if the 4-5% goal is to be achieved. Carmakers had kept their optimism even as the availability of parts and units was hit by a disaster in Japan in March and yesterday CAMPI chief Homer Maranan said there were no plans yet to revise the target.

Month-on-month sales were basically flat at 11,558 vehicles, up 0.1%. Officials attributed the result to the introduction of new models. A 6.8% increase in passenger car sales (40,026 units), coupled with a 3.3% rise for Asian utility vehicles (3,118), helped offset a 3.2% decline in the commercial vehicle category (7,532 units sold).

For the seven-month period, however, sales were down in all vehicle classes except for the niche trucks and buses categories. Commercial vehicles sales — two-thirds of the total — were down 4.6% to 61,818 units. Passenger car sales fell a slightly lower 3.2% to 31,290 units.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the industry leader despite a 6.6% sales drop, moving 34,190 units for a 36.72% share of the market.

In second place was Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., which grew sales by 2.8% to 21,812 units for a 23.43% market share. Third was Honda Cars Phils. Inc. with a 9.73% market share; its sales were down 23% to 9,062 units.

CAMPI slightly missed last year’s growth goal of 170,000 vehicles with full-year sales topping out at 168,490 units. It was still the industry’s best performance since 1996 when it sold 162,000 units. — E. J. Diaz, Businessworld