Toyota Cars Sold in the Philippines not Included in Recall

Toyota cars sold locally are not affected by the accelerator-pedal recall implemented in the United States, a top official of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) said.

In an interview, TMP vice chairman Alfred Ty said the cars sold here are not affected by the recall because the Toyota Camry and Corolla Altis sold by TMP in the Philippines are manufactured in Thailand while RAV4 models are imported from Japan.

“The recall is a preventive measure that shows the consciousness of Toyota management. This is the reason for the recall,” Ty explained.

Ty said they have received some inquiries from their dealerships about the recall that is why they decided to issue a public notice assuring the public that Toyota vehicles sold here are safe. Read the story »

Great Wall Cars Hit the Local Market

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., China’s first privately-owned automaker listed in the Hong Kong stock market, through its Philippine importer and distributor, Statemotor Corp., is set to introduce six models in the Philippine automobile market.

According to Statemotor president Allen Roxas, “Statemotor Corp. has been tapped by Great Wall Motor Co. to bring high-quality and cost-effective products to the Philippine market, namely, the Florid compact passenger car, Peri sub-compact passenger car, Wingle 4×2 & 4×4 pickup, Cowry MPV, Coolbear compact passenger car and Hover 4×2 & 4×4 SUV.”

Based in Hebei Baoding, China, Great Wall Motor Co. is dedicated to making its mark on the international market as an excellent globalized brand of vehicles by conveying the brand connotation of “fashion, high-tech and elegance” and presenting “sophisticated and elegantly made products with excellent price & performance.” Since its establishment in 1976, Great Wall has been developing pickups, SUVs, passenger cars and MPVs in the high-end, mid- and economy ranges. The company adopts European technology in all its products and uses major parts and components from Bosch of Germany, which speaks a lot about the quality and proven track record of its vehicles. Read the story »

Subaru Philippines Closes 2009 with 56 Percent Growth

Motor Image Pilipinas (MIP), the exclusive distributor of Subaru in the Philippines, announced it capped off 2009 with sales of 942 units, marking a 56-percent growth—the biggest in the local automotive industry based on figures released by the Chamber of he Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines.

Subaru has been the fastest growing automotive brand in the country as it consistently increased sales every year since it opened in 2006, according to MIP.

In 2008, the company posted a 100-percent growth. Read the story »

Toyota Philippines Forecasts 8% Sales Growth in 2010

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) Corp. is eyeing a modest 8 percent increase in sales this year to 50,000 units from 46,193 units in 2009 on positive economic signs in the automotive market and the launch of new models this year including new hybrid cars to beef up its existing fleet.

Newly-appointed TMP President Michinobu Sugata told reporters during the company’s annual Media Thanksgiving Party on Friday of the encouraging positive signs of the local automotive market this year.

“There are many positive signs in the auto market,” said Sugata. Read the story »

Isuzu Philippines Maintains Truck Market Leadership in 2009

According to the combined official figures released by the Truck Manufacturers Association of the Philippines and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc., Isuzu trucks again outsold the competition in 2009, as it had the previous 11 straight years.

Last year, Isuzu’s N-Series light-duty trucks sold a total of 996 units, or 56.8 percent of Category 3 of the commercial vehicle segment. Isuzu’s medium-duty trucks, including the Forward, were just as dominant, selling 232 units for 57.9 percent of Category 4. Read the story »

Lexus Manila Celebrates First Anniversary

Lexus Manila, Inc. marks its first year of doing business in the Philippine luxury automotive scene this month. Since its brand debut in January 2009, it did not take long for Lexus Manila to make good on Lexus global reputation for production quality and customer satisfaction.

During its first year, Lexus Manila has responded to market trends by offering its customer a fresh option of luxury car line-up. With the opening of its world-class showroom at the heart of Fort Bonifacio Global City last year, Lexus also launched its initial line-up composed of the flagship sedan LS460, ES350, GS460, IS300, and full-size SUV LX570. This was immediately followed by the March introduction of the global best-selling Lexus cross over SUV RX350, and the sporty convertible IS300c in September. By year end, 172 satisfied Lexus customers can attest to the understated elegance of its products and the warm hospitality of its associates. Lexus garnered 13 percent share of the market, quickly climbing to the fourth position. Read the story »

Mitsubishi Philippines Banners 2009 with 33% Growth Industry Sales

The Philippine automotive industry defied threats of automotive slump due to global financial crisis as it registered a 6.4% growth in 2009. Total vehicle sales reached 132,444 units in 2009, exceeding the flat growth forecast for 2009 by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) or 125,000 units. In 2008, total vehicles sold were 124,449 units.

CAMPI and TMA credits this growth to the aggressiveness of automotive players in introducing new models and various promotion schemes as well as by banks/financial institutions to accept auto financing from loans especially from entry level buyers such as small to medium scale entrepreneurs and also Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). In addition, the strong typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng last October which brought heavy floods in Metro Manila and Luzon areas caused irreparable damaged to most vehicles, have partially contributed to the increase as it accelerated vehicle replacements especially in the last quarter. Read the story »

More Philippine Automotive News

• MINI Global City Opens
• RP Posts 6.4% Increase in Auto Sales Amid Regional Slump
• Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Tops 600,000 Unit Sales Level
• Honda’s Rule-Changing City Gleams with Record-Breaking Sales
• Toyota Philippines Introduces Tougher Innova Sport Runner
• Toyota Vios, Innova Most Popular Vehicles in 2009
• CAMPI: 2009 Car Sales Exceed Industry Forecast
• Mitsubishi Philippines: No Alternative Fuel-Fed Vehicles for RP
• Honda Partners with UnionBank for OFW Car Remittance Program
• Honda City Wins Awards in Subcompact Category