Isuzu tops truck sales anew

MANILA, Philippines — Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) continued to be the leader in truck sales for the 21st straight year as it cornered 45 percent of the market last year.

In a statement, IPC said it sold 2,322 units of its N-Series light duty trucks, capturing 53 percent of the category III market.

IPC also led category IV as it sold 1,064 units of its F-Series medium-duty trucks, representing a 38 percent market share.

The firm likewise dominated category V with sales of its C&E-Series heavy-duty trucks, reaching 320 units or accounting for a 35 percent share.

Combined sales of IPC in categories III, IV and V reached 3,707 units or 45.2 percent of the market last year.

IPC saw a fast recovery in sales in the second half of last year given the demand for trucks as delivery services increased amid the pandemic.

As such, IPC sales of the Isuzu Traviz under the Category II cab and chassis segment reached  2,503 units, capturing a 20 percent share in its first year in the market.

IPC also saw healthy sales for its other vehicle offerings such as the D-MAX pick-up and mu-X sports utility vehicle.

In particular, IPC sold 3,346 D-MAX units last year, up 12 percent year-on-year, while sales of the MU-X reached 1,681 units.

IPC’s total sales reached 11,240 units last year, down 20 percent from 13,971 units in 2019.

“By being the ‘responsible partner,’ IPC does not just supply world-class vehicles and treat our customers as mere clients, we treat them as partners. Their growth is essential to IPC’s growth, hence, we provide total support to our customers nationwide with great products and after-sales support,” IPC president Hajime Koso said.

For this year, IPC is optimistic it could cater to the needs of the market through its current line-up as well as new vehicles to be rolled out.

“We are confident in our truck line-up, but as the demand changes and increases, IPC evolves and is ready to introduce new products that the Philippine market will love. Hopefully, these products will help boost our economy this year,” Koso said.