Mitsubishi Philippines Targets 20% Share of RP Auto Market

Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp. (MMPC) is gunning for 20 percent market share in 2010 from the current 18 percent to cement its position as the country’s strong second biggest automotive player.

MMC executive vice-president Taizo Pat Furuhashi told Business Bulletin that they are eyeing to get 20 percent of the 132,000 auto sales target of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. for 2010.

“Our market share this year is 18 percent so next year we are targeting a market share of 20 percent,” said Furuhashi. This means sales target for MMPC of 26,000 units from about 24,000 units this year.

MMPC’s market share has been improving over the years with 15 percent in 2008.

Furuhashi said the market share is important for the company in light of the strong growth of the domestic auto market.

The company’s sales performance next year would be boosted by the CKD assembly of Lancer EX, which is expected to contribute 2,000 unit sales next year. In addition, MMPC is going to launch middle of next year its RVR model, a crossover between a sports utility vehicle and a passenger car.

“We are expecting additional sales next year because of these two models,” Furuhashi said.

The company has even invested P200 million to upgrade its facility for the local assembly of the new Lancer EX back into the country after it sourcing this popular passenger car model from Thailand and Japan.

The P200 million investments were used to upgrade its assembly line to include new jigs and fixtures, new welding lines feature spot welding robots and an all new trim and final conveyor lines containing the new electronic control unit programming system.

MMPC has stopped the local assembly of Lancer in 2002 at its Cainta, Rizal plant and instead sourced it from Thailand enticed by low tariffs in ASEAN. In 2008, the company started sourcing the new Lancer EX from Japan .

MMPC expects to sell 200 units a month of the new Lancer EX, which starts retailing at its outlets in February next year at a price of P875,000 to P1.1 million a unit.

Manila Bulletin Online

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