Nissan Edges Rank to Third Bestselling Automotive Company in PH

It took nine, tedious years, but it was worth it: Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) has finally become a part of the Top 3 Best Car Sales Performers just last month.

According to Inquirer.net, the golden circle of top sales performers has always been the following: 1) Toyota Motor Philippines, 2) Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, and 3) Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI). However, the lineup changed after the automotive industry experienced a 0.6 percent growth in vehicle sales last February 2019 compared to February 2018.

Since then, HARI has been knocked off from its position by Nissan Philippines.

Outstanding Accomplishment

Nissan's rise to third amidst the 16% sales slump this year compared to last year is impressive. Despite the automotive market slowdown in the Philippines, it has managed to increase its market shares from 5.6 percent (ranking in 7 in 2017) to 9.1 percent (ranking in 4th) last 2018.

According to Inquirer.net, Nissan's 2019 year-to-date sales of 6,623 vehicles was a 73.9 percent jump "over the same year period". Meanwhile, HARI only had a 16.2 percent increase, selling 6,537 vehicles this year compared to 5,624 units it sold in February 2018.

Reasons for Growth

Nissan Philippines' sales was spurred by the introduction of its midsized SUV: the all-new Nissan Terra.

Another key performer driving its sales is its pickup truck: the Nissan Navara. The Navara was considered the best-selling pickup truck some time last year until it was topped by Toyota's Hilux.

HARI, on the other hand, does not carry a pickup truck in its lineup. Its major strength is its passenger cars, with the Hyundai Accent ranking 9th in the country's 2018 bestselling cars.