ISUZU Philippines Corp., the local unit of Japanese truck maker Isuzu, grew by 7 percent year-to-date, as it continues to hold a strong position in the commercial-vehicle (CV) segment.
According to a statement by the Japanese car brand, Isuzu Philippines’s sales amounted to 14,225 units in the first half of 2017 versus 13,258 units sold in the comparable period in 2016.
Based on the combined report released by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association, Isuzu Philippines placed third month-to-date in the top-selling brands for the CV segment.
The company said it sold 3,097 units for June this year compared to the 2,650 units sold in May, showing a 16.9-percent growth.
Displaying strong performance in the light commercial vehicle category is the Isuzu D-MAX pickup, whose sales for the first half of the year garnered a total of 2,292 units—a 20.8-percent boost from the 1,897 units and currently holds 12.6 percent of the market.
Sales of D-MAX amounted to some 469 units in June, compared to the 435 units sold in May, taking a share of 13.4-percent of the total pick-up category.
Sales of the Isuzu mu-X also climbed to 6,453 units in the first semester, compared to 6,297 units for the same period last year, posting a 2.5-percent surge.
Isuzu Philippines President Hajime Koso expressed confidence the company will continue an upward trend on sales, given the government’s target growth of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent of GDP by year-end. “We believe that as the year progresses, the buying power of Filipinos would also grow,” Koso was quoted in a statement as saying. “This is also an indicator of the positive outlook Filipinos have based on sales trend in the automotive industry, which begins to grow drastically as it draws near to the final months of the year.”