Local automotive importers said they have set their sights on accelerating their sales this year after they posted a double-digit growth and sold over 58,000 units in 2021, noting that mobility is crucial as the economy reopens.
In a report on Monday, the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) said its members sold 58,916 units last year, which a showed 14-percent improvement from 51,851 units recorded in 2020.
“You cannot downplay the importance of mobility in the reopening of the economy, gradual though it may be,” said AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.
“With unwavering confidence in the market and in the quality of our product and service offerings, AVID members are determined to build on these gains and look forward to an even better normal in 2022.”
While the industry posted growth last year, its sales were still below the 87,984 units recorded in 2019.
Bulk of the full-year sales were light commercial vehicle (LCV) units, growing by 23 percent to 42,871 from 34,896. Ford Group Philippines led the LCV segment after selling 18,324 units. This is followed by Suzuki Philippines Inc. and Geely Philippines with sales of 11,314 units and 6,104 units, respectively.
The passenger car (PC) segment, which AVID said was the “most affected by quarantine measures,” saw its sales decline by 9 percent to 15,092 units in 2021 from 16,650 units year-on-year.
Suzuki and Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. took most of the market share in the PC segment after selling 8,079 units and 4,639 units last year, respectively.
Commercial vehicles (CV) sales, meanwhile, more than tripled to 953 units last year from 305 in 2020, most of which are accounted for by Hyundai.
In December 2021, however, AVID registered an 8-percent drop in sales to 5,259 units from 5,694 units due to the slowdown in all segments.
CVs, in particular, saw the steepest decline that month, with sales dropping by 59 percent to 9 units from 22 units.
Following this is the PC segment, whose sales slipped by 28 percent to 1,140 units in December last year from 1,592 units in the same month in 2020.
LCV sales were flat at 1 percent with 4,110 units sold in December.
![[FILE] A tricycle driver rests and uses a mobile phone while waiting for passengers in Antipolo City, September 23, 2019.](https://businessmirror.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Philippines-Internet-connectivity-80x53.jpg)
