IT is barely 60 days before Christmas. This early, the industry is upbeat over the prospect of breaching the 250,000 sales mark of vehicles for the year. Some predict it could go as high as 260,000. Good for the economy, for the government and for our people. I can almost see all our players—minor or major—registering plus-signs in their balance sheets if we go by sales records being churned out through the first three quarters of 2014.
Just on Monday, Hyundai reported a whopping 34-percent increase in sales, backstopped by the solid performance of its passenger cars.
During the launch of the Grand Starex variants under Hyundai’s Gold series—Gold Premium and Platinum, Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, the president and CEO of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari), said, “Just for September, we have sold 2,017 units for a 34-percent increase. But year-to-date, we made a 9-percent growth with our sales of 17,694.”
Hyundai now No. 3 overall
THE strong rally catapulted Hyundai to third overall behind Toyota at No. 1 at 9,572 and Mitsubishi at No. 2 at 4,155.
Hyundai’s Eon, i-10 and Accent led the pack with combined sales of 1,490 for the 45-percent growth as the three remained Hari’s top-selling models.
Some four days earlier, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi), noting the robust growth consistently recorded by the industry, made the bold prediction of hitting the 300,000 sales mark in 2015.
Campi President Rommel Gutierrez said the 2015 target is “makeable,” especially if sales this year would reach 260,000.
“After we revised the 250,000 projection to 260,000 this year, and we hit it, that 300,000 in 2015 is very possible,” Gutierrez, ever the optimist, said.
Fearless forecast
BEFORE this fearless forecast, that 300,000 had been earmarked to be hit in 2016.
But then, Gutierrez cited the 41-percent growth of the total industry by September and “if this trend continues, our aim to sell 300,000 in 2015 is achievable.”
What has gunned up the industry is the much stronger buying power of the middle class, the sales promotions anchored on liberal discounts and easy-term loan payments and the seeming frenzy to acquire those low-budget small cars that are, as a dear friend of mine loves to say, “perfect as substitutes for coding days.” One unassailable proof, too, of the ever-increasing appetite for cars was the crowd support of the recently ended fifth Philippine International Motor Show put up by Campi, which drew more than 90,000 visitors to double the 2013 attendance.
‘Vision 2020’
BUOYED up by this colossal support from obviously a legion of car buffs, Campi is now strongly pushing for its “Vision 2020” as the industry vigorously targets an unprecedented 500,000 vehicle sales in six years. If Gutierrez & Co. could so easily raise the ante as to firmly believe they would upgrade from 230,000 to 250,000 the auto sales for 2014, by all means, let us take heed?
After all, we are still way behind in regional sales data since we could only barely sell 220,000 in 2013 as against the 1.2 million vehicles sold in Thailand last year. See the difference?
Why this disparity our government has the answer but, sorry, it’s been there in the backburner for years—if not decades already. It is this: A car industry road map that should, once and for all, be incentive-sensitive as to institute subsidies and reasonable tariffs as well to induce market prices that are very much palatable to the people. In Thailand alone, if not also already in Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar, vehicles are now virtually affordable even to the countryside folk.
Will the daang matuwid (straight path) ever materialize in this generation?
PEE STOP Congratulations today on the third anniversary of Vince Licup’s Chevrolet North Edsa-Balintawak! Time flies, indeed! More power to you, Vince. Your resilience, perseverance and good work ethics have carried you and your car ventures this far. Such courage.
Cheers, Vince!…Rivals and friends alike are celebrating the super-success of the Vios Cup on Sunday at McKinley at BGC, thanks mainly to the lasting leadership of Michonobu “The Rocker” Sugata, the president of Toyota Motor Philippines.
As a result, bigger plans are being tabled by Sugata-san for next year’s second edition. Kampai, Sir John!… Kia owner Gov. Alvarez of Palawan and his chief aides led by Demosthenes Y. Rosales and Kia President Ginia Domingo are still in Cloud 9 following Kia Sorento’s rousing 80-66 rout of Blackwater Elite in Sunday’sopening of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
It didn’t matter that Manny Pacquiao, Kia’s player-coach, played scoreless and committed two turnovers in six minutes and 46 seconds of action on the hard court. Kia won and that’s what counted the most–plus Pacquiao emerged uninjured.
Cheers!…Do you know that Mitsubishi’s “Play The Game” can make you win a Mirage? Get it on Google Play, which is available on App Store.
The game is up to February 27, 2015. Cheers Froi for this brilliant idea!…From Staten Island, New York, welcome home to balikbayan lovebirds Tito and Baby Laurel of Calauag, Quezon. From the power couple, this undying saying: “There’s no place like home.”