What an especially difficult year it has been, so far, for the auto industry. Carmakers and distributors continue to suffer declining sales, as what has been gathered in the latest monthly reports from the major associations.
Inquirer Business reported recently that “August sales dropped 18 percent year-on-year, mainly due to movement restrictions that were again imposed to control the surge in cases of Covid-19,” citing figures from the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors Inc (Avid) showing that it sold just 3,919 units during the month, down 18 percent from the 4,753 units sold in August 2020.
Still, Avid’s year-to-date sales were still up 33 percent to 39,011 units, compared to last year.
Avid’s monthly sales report has been similar to that shown by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), which also saw their August sales decline by 12 percent compared to the same month a year ago. Also, year-to-date Campi and TMA sales managed to grow 37.8 percent to 170,112 units.
Regardless of how the past months’ performances have been, the auto industry would love to end a frustrating year on a high. This has been evident in the flurry of activities and promos key industry players have announced lately.
Financing, pricing, and product come-ons
Toyota Motor Philippines, through its financing arm Toyota Financial Services, is making a bid to make the holiday car purchases easy on the pockets with its Balloon Payment Plus, an option that lets buyers avail themselves of lower monthly payments, inclusive of a built-in prepaid periodic maintenance (PPM) service and flexible end-of-loan term options. Balloon Payment Plus offers up to 28% lower monthly payments compared to regular financing.
Luxury carmaker Lexus, meanwhile, is pushing its roster forward with its new Lexus ES front and center. Low, wide, and sleek, the new Lexus ES espouses a bold design and innovative technology. Since it was first unveiled in 1989, 2.65 million Lexus ES units have been sold worldwide, and the vehicle remains one of the brand’s core models. This newest iteration of the ES will be available in the country soon.
Another Japanese marque which has been busy despite the constricting economic climate has been Suzuki. Consistent with its reputation of excelling in compacts and subcompacts, Suzuki Philippines Inc continues to be popular with its affordable subcompacts S-Presso, Swift and Celerio.
Now, one can more easily pocket these rockets with easy-own plans. The SUV-like S-Presso carries an easily accessible SRP of just P523,000, while the fun Swift comes with either an P80,000 cash discount or a P29,000 down payment. The enduring Celerio, on the other hand, is also offered either with an outright cash discount of up to P60,000 or a low down payment of P29,000.
For newcomers in the local automotive scene, such as Changan Motor Philippines Inc (CMPI), the current pandemic would, indeed, be the figurative baptism of fire for their brands. CMPI, however, says it’s confident that it will make its indelible mark here regardless of the circumstances, pointing to a solid product roster and a business operation that’s backed by Changan International Corp’s 159 years of experience in business and manufacturing and a nationwide network of 18 dealerships and 17 sales outlets.
Employing the widespread and influential reach of social media, CMPI has intensified its promotion of the Alsvin sedan through social media pages, and via the “Kailangan, Changan” promo.
The promo, which is ongoing until Sept. 30, offers the 1.4L 5MT variant of the Alsvin for only P361 per day, amounting to a net monthly amortization of P10,823 for 60 months, based on its SRP of P579,000 and with a 20-percent down payment of P115,800. Customers can also drive home the 1.5L 5DCT model of the Alsvin for only P402 per day, equating to a net monthly amortization of P12,051 for 60 months, and with a 20-percent down payment of P127,800. Moreover, Filipinos can also enjoy the premium Alsvin 1.5L 5DCT Platinum at only P429 per day, equivalent to a monthly amortization of P12,869 for 60 months after a 20-percent down payment of P135,800.
Safety first. Go online
Check out all these promos, products, and activities right from the safety of your own home. TMP’s flexible options can be seen online at toyota.com.ph/showroom. You can also download the myTOYOTA PH app for Android and iOS.
Visit the Lexus website at lexus.com.ph, or follow its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram @lexusmanila. To arrange a consultation with a personal sales consultant, visit the Lexus Remote page athttps://fal.cn/3eSWW.
For daily updates on Suzuki, like and follow Suzuki Auto Ph’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SuzukiAutoPh, on twitter at https://twitter.com/SuzukiAutoPh and Instagram at @suzukiautoph.
For the Changan promo, log on to www.changanphil.com, or follow @ChanganPhil on Facebook.
