Imported car dealers sold fewer units in September amid “volatile market conditions,” the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) reported on Wednesday.
The automotive group said in a statement that its sales for the month dropped by 12 percent to 4,946 units from last year’s 5,617 units.
Sales for the passenger car (PC) segment recorded the steepest decline at 28 percent. Only 1,432 units were sold for the period, fewer than last year’s 1,992 units.
Car dealers saw their commercial vehicle (CV) sales slide by 13 percent to 26 units from the previous 30 units.
Light CV (LCV) sales, meanwhile, was trimmed by 3 percent to 3,488 units from 3,595 units in September 2020.
Year-to-date, however, total imported car sales rose by 26 percent to 43,947 units from 34,980 units a year ago.
PC sales dipped slightly to 11,596 units in January to September from last year’s 11,750 units. Suzuki Philippines Inc. led the segment with 5,768-unit sales, followed by Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. which sold 3,829 units.
Sales of CVs grew by more than fourfold to 917 units in the nine-month period. Nearly all of these are accounted for by Hyundai trucks and buses.
LCV sales registered 37-percent growth after selling 31,444 units year-to-date. Ford Group Philippines was the top distributor with 13,258 units, followed by Suzuki and Geely with 8,677 units and 3,818 units, respectively.
“We have weathered the volatile market conditions of the third quarter. With improving health conditions and a more stable outlook, AVID is optimistic and driven to wind up this last quarter on a strong note,” AVID President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said.