Business Times - 09 Jul 2008
Toyota speeds up to regain top spot for first half of
year
By SAMUEL EE
AFTER starting the year in an
unfamiliar position as runner-up, Toyota finally pushed the pedal
to the metal in June to wrest the No 1 ranking back from Honda by
the end of the first half of the year.
Toyota has been Singapore's top brand since 2002. From January to
June 2008, Toyota, including luxury division Lexus, registered a
total of 7,346 passenger car sales among members of the Motor
Traders Association of Singapore (MTA). The world's biggest
carmaker overtook Honda's 7,212 units after trailing the latter for
the first five months of the year. MTA is a grouping of authorised
distributors. Their sales do not include those of parallel
importers, who have recently been experiencing record
business.
The key to authorised Toyota distributor Borneo Motors' turnaround
is the Corolla Altis - the company's best-seller and a former
perennial winner of Singapore's most popular model award. A new
version of this stalwart was unveiled earlier this year and it was
only from the second quarter that deliveries to customers
began.
'The Altis was launched in late March and we didn't have any
equivalent models to sell during that period,' says Mark Choong,
South Asia chairman of Inchcape Motors, which owns Borneo Motors
Singapore. 'But once it started to take off, it was only a matter
of time before we caught up with Honda.'
With average monthly deliveries of more than 600 units of the
Altis, it was no surprise that Toyota raced back to the top of the
sales charts.
Mr Choong says other models that did reasonably well in the first
six months of this year were the Camry mid-size saloon and the
recently-arrived Wish compact MPV.
'They helped to contribute to the volume,' he says, adding that the
1.5-litre Vios sedan also did 'pretty well because it is in the
smaller-car range'.
'It is affordable and economical. All these are critical factors in
the current market', which is focused on running costs, adds Mr
Choong.
High pump prices have also spurred demand for the Prius petrol-
electric hybrid, but Mr Choong says Borneo is unable to get enough
cars to sell because of supply issues.
Further down the sales chart, Mitsubishi ended the first six months
of 2008 in third place with 3,983 units, while Nissan was fourth
with 2,863 cars.
Mercedes-Benz was in fifth place overall with 2,127 passenger cars,
making the three-pointed star the most popular premium brand in
Singapore. Right behind it at No 6 was traditional rival BMW with
1,890 units.
At No 7 was Subaru. The once niche Japanese carmaker has gone a
little more mainstream, and since then it has been speeding up the
sales chart from when it ended 2007 at No 9.
Korean marque Hyundai - previously a regular feature in the top
three a few years back - was eighth with 1,828 units. This number
could have been higher if the 627 Sonata taxis registered in the
first half were included.
As for the No 1 model in the first half of 2008, that accolade went
to the Honda Civic with 3,283 units, including the hybrid variant
but excluding the three-door Type R. In 2007, it was the Mitsubishi
Lancer, after displacing the Toyota Corolla which had held the top
spot for five years before that.
The runner-up from January to June this year was the Toyota Corolla
Altis with 2,539 units, despite being in the market for only three
full months.
Rounding off the top three was the Toyota Vios with 1,925
units.
Singapore's Top Car
Brand*
1. Toyota/Lexus - 7,346
units
2. Honda - 7,212 units
3. Mitsubishi - 3,983
units
4. Nissan - 2,863 units
5. Mercedes Benz - 2,127
units
6. BMW - 1,890 units
7. Subaru - 1,877 units
8. Hyundai - 1,828
units
S'pore's Top
Model*
1. Honda Civic - 3,316
units
2. Toyota Corolla Altis - 2,539
units
3.Toyota Vios - 1,925
units
*Jan to June 2008, among MTA members