D-Max paces Isuzu’s exceptional sales growth

Sales of the all-new D-Max pickup,  already totaling 1,998, enabled Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) to achieve an exceptional 11.7-percent growth in the January-June period.

The all-new D-Max’s phenomenal 91.7-percent growth —from just 1,042 units sold during the same months in 2013—enabled IPC to offset the modest growth that the Crosswind and Alterra are  currently experiencing. IPC’s total sales of light commercial vehicles reached a positive 9-percent hike, or an equivalent 5,018 units delivered.

In June, the all-new D-Max held the momentum it set in May with sales reaching 355 units, following the 351-unit tally of the previous month.

“The recent credit upgrade that the Philippines received has a significant effect to local consumer spending and has positively benefited vehicle sales in the country,” said IPC president Nobuo Izumina. “The almost 25-percent growth in vehicle sales in the first half of 2014 should further build momentum. We at IPC also expect continued growth, owing largely to the unwavering trust that Filipinos have placed on Isuzu’s reliable, durable and fuel-efficient models. Definitely, these are vehicles built for long-term use.”

Refleeting program

Besides the country’s healthy economy and positive consumer outlook, Izumina said IPC’s optimism also rests on a refleeting program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, which seeks to discard old and unsafe vehicles in favor of brand-new units. The move, he added, is seen to spur further growth in the sales of commercial vehicles, a segment where IPC is one of the country’s top producers.

Izumina also lauded the performance of IPC’s Category III trucks, which rose by 26.5 percent, and Category IV trucks, which grew by 19.1 percent (sales of the NHR and NKR Category III trucks reached 1,010 units or a 25.6-percent increase while sales of the Category IV trucks rose 10.2 percent, and those of heavy-duty trucks jumped 255.6 percent).

By growing 3.3 percent (or 1,156) in June versus May’s total of 1,119 units), IPC now enjoys the No. 3 position in the country’s commercial vehicle segment during the first half of 2014.

Record performance

IPC’s commendable sales performance comes side-by-side with the Philippine automotive industry’s record-setting growth rate of 15.5 percent.

The reports from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers’ Association Inc., according to Izumina, also reflect the domestic market’s continuing appreciation for the value-for-money qualities of Isuzu models as IPC delivered 6,429 vehicles in the first six months of the year compared to the 5,757 vehicles it sold during the same period in 2013.

The rise in IPC’s tally reflects the local market’s increase in sales of commercial vehicles, which already reached 68,467 while the entire auto industry already sold 108,957 units.