Reading the April 2023 year-to-date sales reports of the Philippine Automotive Dealers Association (PADA) and the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) confirm the current auto industry buzz: Mitsubishi Motors PH Corp. has been scoring the highest sales numbers per month, after market leader Toyota Motor PH Corp., since the year began.
A glance at the monthly sales report of PADA shows that last March, MMPC sold 7,194 units, the highest sales in a month ever achieved by a brand except TMPC, whose 46.50-percent market share is way beyond surpassing, let alone equaling.
In fact, MMPC sales per month, so far, have never fallen below at least 5,000 units. In January, MMPC sold 5,097 units; in February, 5,706; in March, 7,194; and in April, 5,675.
Mitsubishi thereby cements its hold on the number 2 spot in the Top Ten Bestselling Brands, which consists of Toyota No. 1 with 59,328 units sold YTD April 2023; No. 2 Mitsubishi, 23,672 units; No. 3 Nissan, 8,510; No. 4 Ford, 8,069; No. 5 Honda, 5,901; No. 6 Suzuki, 5,438; No. 7 Isuzu, 5,217; No. 8 Geely, 2,650; No. 9 Hyundai, 2,453; No. 10 Kia, 1,744.
What could be the secret of Mitsubishi’s success? Last March, Inquirer Motoring’s story on the industry’s first quarter sales listed the Top 3 bestselling models of each Top 10 brand. Mitsubishi listed its Xpander seven-seater MPVxSUV, now marketed as the new Xpander Cross, as its No. 1 bestselling model with 5,166 units sold YTD March 2023.
In the first quarter of the year, Xpander outsold its popular sibling, the Mirage G4 (4,961 units sold) and the ageless L300 (2,936 units sold.) Based on the CAMPI sales reports from April 2021 to July 2022, the Xpander was the number one-selling MPV gasoline engine. It earned the Compact Carrier of the Year title from the 10th Annual C! Awards.
Will MMPC be able to continue scoring the industry’s highest sales per month (except TMP), as the year progresses and new competing models are introduced by other brands? Keep watching this space to find out.
