Mitsubishi Motors posts 25.5% sales hike in H1

MANILA, Philippines - Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) reported a 25.5-percent increase in sales to 21,282 units in the first six months of the year from 16,956 units a year ago due to a strong demand for its vehicle line-up.

The local car industry recorded a 20- percent increase in sales to 87,226 units during the first half from 72,871 units sold in the same period a year ago. According to MMPC, its sales growth of 25.5 percent was stronger than the industry performance of 20-percent growth for the first half.

Based on the consolidated report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association, Inc., MMPC was able to capture 24.4 percent of the market, making it the second bestselling automotive brand in the country.

Due to the strong demand for the Mirage and Lancer EX 1.6, MMPC’s passenger car sales soared by a dramatic 811.2 percent to 4,538 units as of June compared to just 498 units last year.

For the January to June period, the company’s light commercial vehicle sales increased 1.3 percent to 16,416 units from a year ago.

For the second-half of the year, MMPC is confident of maintaining its positive sales performance and raise the possibility of hitting a record high sales performance this year on the back of its plan to introduce a new passenger car model, upgrades to existing vehicle models, aggressive marketing efforts as well as expectation of a sustained robust Philippine economy.

MMPC established its record high sales in 1996 when it sold a total of 36,533 units.

Last year, the firm sold a total of 34,915 units.

“We remain positive that MMPC will further increase its sales volume in the second half with the coming upgrades to its bestselling models and its core models,” MMPC vice president for marketing services Froilan Dytianquin said.

“We are also excited with the introduction of the Mirage G4 which is another addition to our passenger car lineup,” he said noting that the firm expects the new model to get the same warm market reception received by the Mirage hatchback.

“This will further reinforce Mitsubishi’s presence in the passenger cars segment and will greatly strengthen our performance for this year,” he added.