Isuzu sales up 8.5% in Nov

MANILA, Philippines - Sales of Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) went up 8.5 percent in November from a month ago, driven by strong demand for its commercial vehicles.

IPC said in a statement yesterday that it sold 1,121 units in November, up from the 1,033 units delivered in October.

The firm said the demand for its Crosswind model supported the sales performance in November, having sold 669 units of the Asian utility vehicle (AUV).

Apart from the Crosswind, it said the D-Max likewise helped pull up the firm’s sales in November, with 216 units of the pick-up sold.

The company’s N-series trucks, which accounted for 141 units for the month, also helped IPC achieve higher sales.

For the January to November period, IPC’s sales jumped 22 percent to 10,716 units from last year.

“The company presently commands an eight-percent share of the domestic auto sector, up from the seven percent share it held from January to November last year,” it said.

Arthur Balmadrid, IPC senior vice president for corporate business division, said earlier this month that the company expects its sales to reach 12,000 units this year, matching the record sales seen in 2003.

The firm expects higher sales this year compared to last year, given the country’s strong economic performance as well as robust growth in remittances from Filipinos working overseas.   

Balmadrid said the overseas Filipino workers are IPC’s major clients as they account for most of the firm’s AUV sales.