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Southeast Asian new-car sales jump

Southeast Asian new-car sales jump
Datsun new car | datsun.com

New-car sales in Southeast Asia's six major countries climbed by a combined 14% in March from a year earlier to 316,736 vehicles, the fifth straight monthly gain and returning sales for the month to a level not seen in four years.

Sales rose in all six nations and posted double-digit gains in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, underscoring firm consumer spending in the region.

New-cars sales turned a corner in 2016, growing for the first time in three years. But growth reached only 3% and it was not until the start of this year that the recovery moved into the fast lane.

The star performer has been Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-biggest car market. March sales soared 17% to 84,801 units, the third straight double-digit jump. Passenger car sales zoomed up 40%. Japan's Honda Motor, Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor, Mazda Motor and Mitsubishi Motors were at the top of the pack in this area, posting increases of 30-70%. That more than compensated for weakness in sales of pickup trucks and other commercial vehicles. Sales of 1-ton-class pickup trucks, which is a category that includes SUVs, rose by only 8% in March, and some manufacturers, including Toyota and Mitsubishi Motors, even saw sales decline in this area.

Car dealer in Singapore | Speedmotoring.com
Car dealer in Singapore | Speedmotoring.com

 

New-cars sales in Indonesia, the region's largest market, grew 8% in March, rising past 100,000 units for the first time in four months. Automakers there are competing to sell "low-cost green cars" to consumers keen on eco-friendly technologies. Fuel consumption was a main theme at the Indonesia International Motor Show that just ended.

With a gain of 10%, a recovery was also evident in Malaysia, where car sales skidded in 2016. March was the second straight month of double-digit sales growth there.

For the January-March quarter, new-car sales in Southeast Asia grew 11% to 826,545 vehicles, led by a 20% jump in the Philippines and a 16% rise in Thailand. At least for now, new-car sales in Southeast Asia appear to be back on track.

 

This article was first published on Asia.Nikkei.com on May 9th, 2017

Tags: car sales
Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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