MANILA, Philippines — Sales of vehicles in the country rose by 2.4 percent in September from a year ago as automotive firms stepped up promotional activities.
Data released by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) yesterday showed that combined vehicle sales with the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) rose to 39,542 units in September from 38,628 units in the same month last year.
Vehicle sales in September also increased slightly from the 39,155 units recorded in August.
CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the increase “can be attributed to new stock arrivals and improved promotions from the brands.”
According to CAMPI, no new vehicle models were released last month, with automotive companies likely preparing for the upcoming Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS).
Set to be held from Oct. 24 to 27 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, the PIMS is expected to serve as the platform for new vehicle launches.
The commercial vehicle segment accounted for the bulk, or 73.6 percent, of total vehicle sales, with sales reaching 29,104 units in September, up slightly from 29,070 units in the same month a year ago.
Passenger cars had a 26.4-percent market share, with sales in September reaching 10,438 units, 9.2 percent higher than the 9,558 units in the same month of the previous year.
For the January to September period, CAMPI and TMA’s sales accelerated by 9.4 percent to 344,307 units this year from 314,843 units in the same period a year ago.
Commercial vehicle sales picked up by eight percent to 253,542 units as of end-September from 234,834 units in the same period last year.
Passenger cars sold in the nine-month period grew by 13.4 percent to 90,765 units from 80,009 units in the same period in 2023.
Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the leading market player with its 46.21 percent share in total sales in the January to September period.
This was followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with a 19.18 percent share and Ford Motor Co. Philippines Inc. with 6.23 percent.
Placing fourth was Nissan Philippines Inc. with a 5.9-percent share, while Suzuki Philippines Inc. came in next with 4.35 percent.