MANILA, Philippines - Isuzu Philippines Corp.’s (IPC) sales grew 12.2 percent in the first quarter from a year ago supported by strong demand for the D-MAX.
In a statement, IPC said yesterday its total sales reached 3,068 units in the January to March period, up from the 2,734 units sold during the same period in 2013.
The firm noted that the D-MAX continued to enjoy strong demand in the three-month period with sales reaching 943 units, a 77.3-percent jump from the 532 units delivered during the same period last year.
The positive sales performance of the D-MAX managed to offset the lower sales of other vehicle models such as the Crosswind and Alterra.
Sales of the Crosswind declined 10.3 percent to 1,362 units sold in the first quarter from 1,518 sold in the comparable period in the previous year.
Alterra sales fell 27.4 percent to 119 units as of end-March compared to 164 units sold last year.
IPC’s light commercial vehicle sales tally reached 2,424 units in the three-month period, 9.5 percent more than the 2,214 units recorded during the same months a year ago.
As for the firm’s truck lineup, while the medium-duty trucks and buses and heavy-duty models experienced drops in sales, the N-Series sales results still drove the segment to a 23.8-percent growth with 644 units sold in the first quarter against the 520 units moved in the same period in 2013.
For the month of March alone, IPC sold 1,119 units, 8.3 percent higher than the 1,033 units in February.
“There are numerous factors that continue to push IPC’s performance, which include a strengthening national economy and a steady influx of remittances from abroad, among others,†IPC president Nobuo Izumina said.
“But there are also some basic factors that come into play, not least of which is the trust Filipinos steadfastly place on Isuzu vehicles. And among these lineup of durable, reliable and fuel-efficient models, the latest D-MAX is proving to be the most popular of them all,†he added.
IPC aims to sell 15,000 units this year.
Last year, the company sold a total of 11,793 vehicles, slightly higher than the 11,759 vehicle sales in 2012.