Isuzu Philippines Corp. said the all-new Isuzu mu-X rolled out 1,500 units in January and February, a sharp increase from 78 units sold year-on-year for its predecessor, the Isuzu Alterra.
IPC president Nobuo Izumina said the sales in the first two months of the year “reflect the [company’s] strong lineup for the Philippines.”
“Our record only shows that Isuzu Philippines Corp. has a strong product lineup that is made up of various vehicles with specific purpose and offers great value for money. With the continued strength of the Philippine economy, such performance could go on as 2015 progresses,” Izumina said.
Sales of the all-new Isuzu mu-X jumped to 941 units in February from just 43 units on year.
Released in September 2014, mu-X has been in the market for five months.
Meanwhile, sales of the Isuzu N-Series light-duty truck increased 37.9 percent in the first two months of 2015 to 538 units from 390 units on year.
Sales in February surged 75 percent to 382 units, surpassing the 218 units in 2014.
Sales of IPC’s trucks and buses rose to 44 units from just 12 on year.
Sales of Isuzu trucks and buses increased to 34 units from just 7 units in 2014.
The brisk sales performance of the three models offset the 47 percent decline in the sales of best-seller Isuzu Crosswind AUV to 470 units from 894 units on year.
Izumina attributed the slight drop in sales on some units to the few calendar days in February and the expenses during the holiday season in 2014.
“We expect better sales from our lineup, especially to our best-selling Isuzu Crosswind AUV,” he said.
The February sales of the Crosswind decreased 53 percent to 213 units against the 451 units in same month last year.
Despite slower growth for other models, the sales strength of the mu-X, N-Series and the trucks and buses segment cushioned the performance of the D-Max pick-up truck, whose sales fell 15 percent to 488 units from 575 units on year.
Sales of the D-Max pick-up truck dropped 23 percent in February this year to 243 units from 314 units in 2014.
Total sales of Isuzu rose 56 percent to 3,040 units in the first two months of 2015 from 1,949 units on year.