Hyundai sales up 38% in September

MANILA, Philippines — The official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the country said its sales rose 38 percent in September from the previous month as pandemic restrictions were eased in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) said it sold a total of 830 vehicles in September, up from 600 units in August.

HARI said sales got a boost as restrictions were eased in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces after being placed under strict lockdown in August due to the threat of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

The growth in HARI’s total vehicle sales was driven mainly by the passenger car (PC) segment which increased 64.8 percent to 529 units in September from the 321 units in August.

Leading the growth in the PC segment was the Hyundai Accent as its sales surged 91.8 percent in September from the previous month.

The light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment posted a 16.5 percent growth with sales reaching 283 units in September from 243 units in August.

HARI attributed the LCV segment’s performance to the 53.3 percent increase in Hyundai H-100 sales with the demand coming from small and medium enterprises.

Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle segment’s sales fell 50 percent to 18 units in September from the 36 units sold in August.

“We remain driven forward as we approach the finish line of yet another challenging year,” HARI president and chief executive officer Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said.

“With news regarding the further decline of infections and the lowering of health-related restrictions in the country by the end of this month, we can look forward to providing our customers better journeys this holiday season,” she said.