December sales to solidify best-ever year for PH auto industry

THE BIG news this year would have been the phenomenal effort of car companies to reach a previously unattainable sales target of 310,000 units.

When the final numbers are tallied for the year, the members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) expect to cap off a record year since they only need to sell at least 48,070 units until yearend.

Nissan’s resurgence

Another notable news is the Nissan brand’s resurgence in the Philippine market.

After unveiling the benchmark-setting all-new NP300 Navara pickup in February, the all-new, fifth-generation NV350 Urvan (van) in June, and a funky-looking Juke subcompact crossover in October, Nissan Philippines—under the helm of of its new president and managing director Antonio Zara—helped produce the first-ever Nissan PlayStation GT Academy Asia champion, 26-year-old Jose Gerard Policarpio, who bested 28 of the best Gran Turismo gamers from across Asia.

Exciting, smart products

Of course, let us not forget Ford Philippines that unveiled several exciting products this year to enable the American brand to finish among this year’s top three performers.

Ford Philippines launched this year a limited-edition version—500 units only—EcoSport with Urban Pack in August, a “tough and very smart” new Ranger, also in August, and an EcoBoost-equipped new Focus that could now parallel park, perpendicular park, as well as park-out in November.

Not yet done, outgoing Ford Philippines managing director Kay Hart also introduced to the Philippines the all-new Ford Everest, a game-changer in the competitive world of midsize SUVs.

Beefed up lineup

And let us not forget Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) that recovered significantly this year—sales rose by 44 percent between January and October alone.

This year, HCPI beefed up the City lineup with the addition of the new City 1.5 E CVT Special Edition, and launched the seven-seater multipurpose utility vehicle, the all-new Mobilio as well as the all-new HR-V, the company’s new-generation crossover compact SUV.

HCPI also launched the all-new Odyssey minivan, which is equipped with the company’s Earth Dreams Technology (2.4-liter, DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and seven-speed paddle shifter-equipped continuous variable transmission); and finally, brought to our shores its most expensive, most luxurious and most advanced sedan, the all-new Legend 3.5 Sport Hybrid SH-AWD.

As the name suggests, this luxury full-size sedan is powered by Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology 3.5-liter V6 engine paired to a three-electric motor, lithium-ion battery-powered, hybrid system (generates a total output of 375 horsepower). The SH-AWD stands for Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system.

Outside the realm of Campi, there’s Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. that introduced in April an all-new, third-generation Tucson, a compact SUV that boasts of a much tougher body frame—it’s now reinforced with high-strength steel as well as anticorrosive treatment on the core moving.

Resiliency test

Sadly, all these exciting new vehicle introductions and phenomenal sales performance are being eclipsed by the sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) issue that tests the resilience of Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp. (MMPC), the country’s second-best-selling brand.

The Montero Sport has been one of MMPC’s strongest brand. Since its introduction in 2008, more than 88,000 units have been sold, 65,000 of them equipped with automatic transmission that is now being associated to these complaints.

While MMPC and most experts agree that SUA is not possible on Montero Sport from a technical viewpoint (citing that the drivers were more likely to have stepped unconsciously on the gas pedal when the intent was really the brake pedal), the almost 100 owners (although there were only 24 who filed a formal complaint) believed otherwise, citing there was, indeed, something going on in their SUVs.

And yet, the very nature of such glitches remain irreproducible until now making it impossible to say whether the fault in the vehicle’s software is to be blamed or not.

Smart wheels

Most people aren’t aware their cars are already high-tech computers. They perform many of the jobs done previously by mechanical or electrical linkages.

Computer chips now manage everything from airbag deployment, door locks and seat adjustments, to ignition timing, throttle position, fuel injection, gear selection, cruise control, stability, and increasingly, also the brakes (for example, those with forward collision warning system or collision mitigating system).

And now we’re networking by giving them wireless connectivity, thus, turning our vehicles into a smartphone on wheels.

But while these automotive electronics have revolutionized the way we drive vehicles, the possibility of them going berserk is an issue that nags us.

Montero Sport complainants want an acceptable reason. On the other hand, MMPC wants to quickly redeem any negative sentiment around the Montero Sport badge (considering they are about to introduce the SUV’s most advanced and safest iteration).

For the rest of the industry players, they need to assure the market that all vehicles sold in the market today are safe and can be depended on.

It is now up to the Department of Trade and Industry and a recognized third-party laboratory to resolve all these issues.