Malaysia LV Sales, Production on Rise in March

Resurgent consumer confidence and a longer working month saw Malaysian new-vehicle sales climb 7.5% to 57,622 units in March, the Malaysian Automotive Assn. says.

Car deliveries grew 7.3% to 50,562 units, while commercial vehicles showed a 9.0% improvement to 7,060.

The result lifted first-quarter sales up a healthy 13.8% to 157,664 units, MAA says in a statement. Car deliveries were up 13.7% to 139,689 after three months and the smaller CV segment increased 14.4% to 17,975.

In line with the climbing sales, Malaysian vehicle production was up 5.2% in March to 49,034 units, raising the first-quarter result 2.8% to 146,051.

Car output grew 8.1% to 44,380 units in March, but CV output tumbled 16.0% to 4,654. For the first quarter, car production was up 2.9% to 130,987, while the CV build eased 2.7% to 15,064.

MAA says it expects sales to be slightly lower than in April because of the May 5 general election and campaign promises of a reduction in car prices.

The Business Times quotes Perodua Managing Director Aminar Rashid Salleh as saying the Malaysian auto maker maintained its sales lead with a 30% market share in the first quarter.

Aminar Rashid agrees with the MAA that consumers will adopt a wait-and-see attitude toward whether election promises of lower new-vehicle prices will bear fruit.

“We believe that if there is any reduction the process will take time, as the players need time to adjust to any changes,” he is quoted as saying. “We kindly advise consumers not to wait on their purchases, as change will likely be gradual.”

Elsewhere, Toyota is boosting its aftersales operation in Malaysia to meet a target of 105,500 units this year.

The government’s Bernama news agency quotes Toyota Malaysia President Ismet Suki as saying the auto maker now has a network of 92 sales and aftersales outlets throughout the country.

“We strongly believe that the automotive industry (will) continue to grow, despite the prevailing challenging market conditions,” he says.