Double-digit growth for triple-diamond brand

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.’s (MMPC) sales surged in the first half of 2014, setting its highest monthly sales record in June.

MMPC closed the first semester of 2014 registering a double-digit 17.8-percent growth. From January to June of the year, MMPC was able to sell a total of 25,066 vehicles compared to 21,282 units during the same period last year.

Combined reports from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and Truck Manufacturers Association  showed that MMPC was able to maintain its dominance in the automotive industry with a market share of 23 percent.

MMPC also recorded its highest monthly sales of 4,535 units, beating the previous sales record of 4,410 units established just last February.

MMPC’s June sales posted a 10.1-percent growth compared to May sales of 4,120 units. This was attributed to the increase in sales of both passenger cars (PCs) and light commercial vehicles (LCVs).

Last month, MMPC was able to increase its PC sales by 19.6 percent with 1,133 units sold, while LCV was modestly up by 8.8 percent compared to May 2014 sales.

LCV accounted for the majority of vehicles sold last month. A total of 3,054 LCV units were sold in June. 1,584 units of Montero Sport were sold last month, making it the best-selling midsize SUV and the No. 1 LCV in the Philippines. Adventure and Strada sales also improved with 664 and 316 units sold, respectively.

The sustained sales growth of MMPC can be credited to several factors, including its extensive product lineup providing the market a variety of models to choose from. Locally manufactured Adventure and L300 models remain to be a substantial choice among customers engaged in small to medium-scale business looking for a reliable, low operational cost of maintenance vehicle.

The Mirage and Mirage G4 models were also well received by the market with their platform of being small yet practical cars loaded with class-leading features and, most importantly, fuel efficiency. Apart from the aggressive marketing efforts, flexible financing plans and promos made the Mirage more affordable. The stable Philippine economy and increasing investments in the country also contributed to the growth of the company and the local auto industry.

MMPC revealed that sales growth will continue to be strong for the remaining months of the year. It supports the latest Campi forecast of the total industry sales increasing to 250,000 from the original 230,000 units.

“Given our remarkable and on-track performance for the first semester, it is definite that we will surpass last year’s total sales of 43,176 units. Our goal is to sell more than 50,000 units this year in order to keep at least a 20-percent market share,” MMPC vice president for marketing services Froilan Dytianquin said.