Isuzu sales up 9.8% in Jan

MANILA, Philippines - Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) saw its sales grow in January from a year ago amid continued strong demand for the D-MAX.

IPC said in a statement yesterday it sold 916 units in January, 9.8 percent higher than in the same month last year.

The positive sales performance was seen as sales of the D-MAX surged 146.2 percent to 261 units in January from 106 units in the same month in 2013.

The all new D-MAX’s sales movement continued following its launch in September last year.

Isuzu’s flagship sports utility vehicle Alterra also supported the positive sales performance, with  sales of 35 units in January,  the same level as in the comparable month in the previous year.

The firm’s medium-to-heavy duty truck and bus sales were also steady at 177 units in January compared to the same month a year ago.

Sales of the N-Series light duty trucks meanwhile, declined slightly to 131 units in January from 135 units last year.

IPC president Nobuo Izumina expressed optimism that they would achieve all-time high sales this year amid the country’s positive economic performance.

“Various forecasts have indicated the Philippine economy will further expand in 2014 after closing 2013 with growth of around seven percent. The country’s automotive sector is expected to follow this trend as consumer confidence builds up, spurring increased spending,” he said.

“As such, Isuzu Philippines is positive we will reach our sales target of 15,000 vehicles in 2014, and certainly, the all-new D-MAX will play a key role in this,” he said further.

Aside from the D-MAX, IPC is also set to unveil upgrades to its product lineup this year to support higher sales this year.

The upgrades to IPC’s product lineup would be introduced at the Philippine International Motor Show  scheduled on September 18 to 21 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Last year, IPC sold a total of 11,793 vehicles, up slightly from the 11,759 vehicle sales in 2012.