September vehicle sales mark improvement

DOMESTIC vehicle sales showed signs of improvement in September, but the first nine-month performance remained sluggish despite easing supply chain woes.

According to a joint report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association, sales rose 8.6 percent to 12,555 units in September from the previous month’s 11,558 units.

“A combination of factors boosted the monthly sales performance in the various segments such as improvement in supply of some models, fleet deliveries and introduction of new models,” said Campi.

While sales have gone up month-on-month, this was not enough to push year-to-date sales, which remained in negative territory for the fourth straight month. Sales dropped 3.5 percent to 105,663 vehicles this year from the 109,517 last year.

Passenger car sales inched up 4.2 percent to 4,195 units, but sales in the nine-month period slid 2.4 percent to 35,485 units. Commercial vehicle sales grew 11 percent to 8,360 units in September, but year-to-date figures were down 4.1 percent to 70,178 units.

With only sales of Asian utility vehicles contracting in September, the month-on-month growth was more pronounced in the light commercial vehicles and light trucks, which grew by 26.7 percent and 10.10 percent, respectively. Sales of trucks and buses also rose nine percent.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. sold the most number of vehicles during the first nine months with 39,421 units, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 24,081 units, and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. with 10,120 units.

Campi has yet to revise its four to five percent growth forecast issued early this year. The target did not factor in the adverse impact of the crisis in Japan, the leading source of cars and auto parts for the Philippine market. –Krista Angela M. Montealegre, Manila Times