Isuzu sales up 17.7% in Oct

MANILA, Philippines - Sales of Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) rose 17.7 percent in October from the previous month on the back of the strong sales performance of the all-new D-MAX pickup.

IPC said in a statement it sold 1,122 vehicles in October, 169 units more than the 953 units sold in September.

The firm achieved higher month-on-month sales amid growth in the sales of the new D-MAX launched in September.

IPC’s sales of the D-MAX jumped 89.4 percent to 339 units in October from 179 units in September.

The firm attributed the sales performance of the D-MAX in October to demand for the pickup in Mindanao and in Metro Manila.

While the D-MAX helped drive higher sales for IPC in October, the growth was also supported by the medium-duty and heavy-duty truck models as well as other vehicle models.

The company delivered 104 medium-duty trucks in October, 31.6 percent more than the 79 units sold in September.

IPC sold 14 heavy-duty trucks in October, a huge leap over the single unit moved during the previous month.

The company’s light commercial vehicles also helped lift October’s tally as 457 units of the Crosswind and 29 units of the Alterra sports utility vehicle were sold.

“The positive response of the domestic market toward the All-New D-MAX is a clear indication of consumer confidence over the Isuzu brand, which is bolstered by the consistent performance of our truck models as well as our other light commercial vehicles,” IPC president Nobuo Izumina said.

“Certainly, the buoyant state of the Philippine economy at present is a major factor as well as it spurs spending, and this can be gleaned in particular with Isuzu Philippines’ growth in October and in general with the upsurge of the entire automotive industry,” he said further.

IPC aims to sell 13,000 units this year.

The firm sold a total of 11,759 vehicles last year, 20 percent higher than in 2011.

As of end-October, its total sales reached 9,748 units, up slightly from the 9,595 units sold in the same period in 2012.