Mitsubishi Philippines January sales surge 50%

MITSUBISHI MOTORS Philippines Corp. (MMPC) on Wednesday said it saw a surge in sales in January, despite issues hounding the Montero Sport.

In a statement, MMPC said it sold 4,867 units in January, 14% up from December, and 50% higher than January 2015 figures.

The company said the all-new Montero Sport accounted for nearly a third of January’s total sales with 806 units. Another 816 units of the previous Montero model were also sold in January.

“In spite of the issues that hounded the Montero Sport last year, we are truly delighted with the outcome of total reservations received as well as actual sales turnout last month. It confirms the market’s confidence in the Montero Sport brand,” MMPC First Vice-President for Marketing Froilan Dytianquin was quoted in the statement as saying.

Late last year, reports surfaced that some Montero Sport owners experienced sudden unintended acceleration incidents involving their vehicles. The company denied the allegations, saying the Montero Sport is not defective.

MMPC is targeting a 25% increase in sales to 67,800 units this year, higher than the 54,087 units it had sold in 2015.

MMPC finished 2015 with a market share of nearly 17%, maintaining its position as the second top seller of cars in the country. —