Auto sector to revise upward sales forecast for 2010

MANILA, Philippines - After a good two months performance, the auto industry announced they will be revising upward their sales forecast for the year.

In an interview at the sidelines of the launch of the Nissan Murano, Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) president Elizabeth H. Lee said that the high remittance from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) will support the high vehicle sales.

“We are very bullish for the whole year,” Lee said.

According to Lee, they will revise the target upward. She said the final figure will be released after the first quarter.

Lee said they will look at the trends after March because the spending in the first three months may only be influenced by the national elections.

Meanwhile, Lee, who is also the vice president of Universal Motor Corp. announced the launch of the Murano Z51. The vehicle costs P3.1 million.

“Touted as the one and only ZUV, the Murano Z51 is a testament to Nissan’s sheer love and passion for creating undeniably great cars. It offers a mind-altering premium driving experience with its seamless combination of sophisticated Z-class styling and superior Z-class performance,” Lee said.

The Murano Z51’s has a push button ignition which starts the engine with a simple push of a button while the Nissan intelligent key (with engine immobilizer/alarm system) allows locking and unlocking of doors, opening of the trunk and starting of the engine with the key inside the pocket.

A power lift gate raises or lowers with a touch of a button for easier loading and unloading. Rear seats also fold down with a mere pull on the lever, revealing larger cargo space, and flips back automatically with another touch of a button with the vehicle’s auto flip-up rear seats.

The Murano Z51 also features an eight-way power front driver seats, finding the best seat, steering wheel and door mirror positions for you. Coupled with a personal driving memory function, these positions can be identified and configured to each of the two intelligent keys provided.