The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. (AVID) reported that August 2021 sales went down by 19 percent as compared to the previous month.
Suzuki tops the Passenger Cars segment
Based on the report, AVID managed to sell 3,919 units for August. This is 19 percent lower than its July sales which garnered a total of 4,862 units sold. Moreover, the August sales are lower by 18 percent than the same month last year at 4,753 units.
Due to the rising Delta COVID-19 variant in the country, the strict lockdown is the primary factor why AVID believes its sales went down in August. But despite the disruption caused by the global health crisis, AVID assured that the Philippines automotive industry remains on track toward recovery.
The Japanese automaker is showing significant improvements since the start of 2021
The Passenger Cars (PC) segment got a minimal year-to-date (YTD) growth at four percent from 9,758 units sold in 2020 to 10,164 units this year. Suzuki is at the top of this segment with 5,080 units sold, with Hyundai trailing at 3,300 units sold.
Meanwhile, the Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) segment posted a 72 percent market share of the total industry sales as per AVID’s report, making it the best-selling segment recorded this year. The following car brands are the top contributors for the said segment’s feat:
Ford – 11,639 units sold
Suzuki – 7,874 units sold
Hyundai – 3,420 units sold
Lastly, the Commercial Vehicles (CV) segment boasts a 362 percent (YTD) growth, with Hyundai leading the segment with 99.7 percent of total CV sales. The Korean car brand’s support for the Public Utility Vehicles Modernization Program (PUVMP) boosted its CV sales. Some of its recent expansion efforts include Tacloban City and San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
Hyundai supports the government
“The entire industry hit a pothole in August due to the necessary health restrictions. Despite this, we at AVID choose to be optimistic as we approach the final stretch of the year,” said AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.
On the other hand, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturer Association (TMA) reported that the Philippine automotive market sales went down by 26.3 percent in August as compared to July. Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) remains to be best-selling brand this year with 82,389 units sold.
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