Imported vehicle sales up 14% in February

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s vehicle importers reported a 14 percent increase in sales in February, compare to the same month last year supported by the strong demand for passenger cars (PC) and light commercial vehicles (LCV).

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. (AVID) reported it sold 2,675 units in February, up from the 2,338 units it sold in the same month last year.

The higher sales were achieved as both PC and LCV sales posted growth.

PC sales rose 26 percent to 1,311 units in February compared to the 1,043 units in the same month in 2013.

Making a significant contribution to the higher PC sales was Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) which posted a 41 percent increase in sales, driven by consumer purchases of the Eon and Grand i10 last month.

AVID’s LCV sales grew five percent to 1,364 units in February from 1,295 units last year.

This was supported by the demand for Chevrolet, Subaru and MINI vehicles

The latest result brought AVID’s two-month sales tally to 5,866 units, 18 percent higher than the 4,963 units in the comparable period in 2013.

AVID’s PC sales climbed 23 percent to reach 2,990 units as of end-February from the 2,424 units sold in the comparable period a year ago.

The group’s LCV sales rose 13 percent to 2,876 units in the January to February period from 2,539 units in the same period last year.

“Sparked by the unified drive of providing quality brand innovations, we at AVID remain committed to deliver value-rich experiences through premium customer service and pioneering world-class products,” AVID president Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said.

AVID’s total sales reached 31,399 vehicles in 2013, 11 percent higher than the 28,400 units in the previous year.

The AVID is composed of 11 member firms namely AutoChina, Inc. (Geely brand); British United Automobiles, Inc. (MINI); CATS Motors Inc.(Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge); The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (Chevrolet); Focus Ventures, Inc. (King Long and FAW); HARI; Jaguar Phil. Inc.; Motor Image Pilipinas Inc. (Subaru); PGA Cars Inc. (Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley); Scandinavian Motors Corp. (Volvo); and United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (Foton).