Isuzu sets 2015 sales target at 18,000 units

MANILA, Philippines - Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC), which is on track to achieve record-high sales of 14,500 units this year, aims to further grow its total sales to hit 18,000 units next year as it takes advantage of the growing demand for vehicles.

IPC president Nobuo Izumina told reporters the firm intends to sell a total of 18,000 units next year amid expectations of higher demand for vehicles.

He noted that total vehicle sales in the country are expected to hit 310,000 units next year from more than 250,000 units this year.

“For this year, maybe we will achieve 14,500 units. That is our target,” he said.

As of end-November, IPC’s sales reached 12,644 units, up 17.6 percent from the 10,749 units sold in the same period last year.

Last year, IPC’s total vehicle sales reached 11,793 units.

The firm is banking on the country’s favorable economic conditions to drive demand for vehicles.

While growth is expected in all of IPC’s vehicle offerings next year, the mu-X sports utility vehicle (SUV) is expected to be the main driver of its higher sales.

Izumina said the firm wants to sell a total of 6,000 mu-X units next year.

Since the launch of the mu-X in September, IPC has sold 1,200 units of the SUV.

There has been strong demand seen for the mu-X, which is imported from Thailand, with many customers waiting for three to four months for the delivery of the vehicle.

Other Isuzu vehicles sold here such as the Crosswind, D-Max and trucks are locally-assembled at IPC’s plant in Laguna.

While demand for cars here is expected to rise, IPC has no immediate plans of making significant investments at its plant in Laguna as the facility is still not being fully utilized.

The plant, which has a capacity of 30,000 units on double-shift, currently produces only 10,000 units on single-shift.

Izumina said the firm intends to continue to utilize its plant even as the government has yet to release the automotive industry road map.

“We already gave up. Already two or three years have passed. (We have waited) too long,” he said.

He noted though that if government wants to encourage local vehicle assemblers to raise production volumes, it should provide support to domestic manufacturers and suppliers citing that importing completely built units is cheaper than local production.