Signs of car market showing great demand is reflected in UMW Group’s latest total vehicle sold for May which stood at 25,568 units. This figure is a distant number the group had the same time last year, which was just 11,342 units due to the imposition of the first Movement Control Order.
According to a released statement, sales surged for both UMW Toyota Motor and its associate company, Perodua, mainly driven by new model introduction, festive campaigns and the sales tax exemption despite the challenges brought about by the escalating rate of COVID-19 infections as well as the global shortage of semiconductor chips.
Strong performance was seen for UMW Toyota, where it sold 7,595 units, 120% higher than the 3,456 units registered in May 2020. Toyota Vios, Yaris and Hilux continue to be the best-selling models, contributing 78% of total sales. The all-new Toyota Corolla Cross and Harrier, and the improved Fortuner and Innova also contributed positively. Overall, for the first five months of the year a total of 34,026 Toyota’s were sold, significantly higher than the 14,052 units registered in the corresponding period. The group is targeting to sell 62,000 units in 2021.
Perodua being the other brand under the staple registered 17,973 units, significantly higher than the 7,886 units recorded a year ago. However, this was lower than the 20,399 units achieved in April this year, mainly due to the semiconductor chips shortage. But optimism is there as demand remains strong for all Perodua models, including its facelifted Aruz, that has new updates but at the same price point. In total 96,281 units were sold to-date, 82% higher than the 52,920 units registered in the corresponding period and is on track to achieve its target of 240,000 units this year.
MCO 3.0 prohibits the opening of assembly plants and showrooms, however UMW is confident in achieving the targets mainly attributing to the extension of the sales tax and use of digital technology for car purchases.
