Thai Auto Sales Surge as Flood Disruptions Ebb

The Thai auto industry, still recovering from last year’s massive floods, recorded its third-highest sales month ever in February as pent-up demand pushed sales up 17.2% year-on-year to 90,461 units.

With Honda, the country’s biggest passenger-car maker, not due to resume production at its flood-damaged plant until March 26, new-car sales fell 4% during the month to 32,170 units.

But Toyota, which compiles data for the industry, says commercial-vehicle sales more than made up for the decline, jumping 33.4% to 58,291 units. That total included the important 1-ton pickup segment, which saw sales climb 36.2% to 51,335.

“The high figure followed the return to normal capacity of several auto makers, allowing them to return to deliver more vehicles to customers on the booking list,” Wutthikorn Suriyachantananont, executive vice president-Toyota Thailand, says in a statement.

The result boosted the country’s 2-month total 14.5% to 166,707 units.

Wutthikorn says pent-up demand and the popularity of models launched in the past year are helping drive sales higher. “Vehicle-sales growth should continue in March, as auto makers are resuming normal operations. That will increase their ability to clear the orders.”

Commercial-vehicle deliveries climbed 31.4% after the year’s first two months to 106,575 units, but the new-car market was off 6.8% to 60,132 owing to reduced plant capacity.

Toyota led the market with overall sales up 28.8% in February to 39,389 units, ahead of Isuzu, up 23.6% to 18,189; and Mitsubishi, up 64.3% to 7,823.

Toyota held its lead in new-car sales in the month with a 22.7% improvement to 17,396 units, with Nissan spiking 100.8% to 5,780 and Mazda rising 44.8% to 3,599.

In the 1-ton pickup segment, Toyota deliveries in February increased 38.5% year-on-year to 20,402 units, while Isuzu sales grew 24.9% to 16,819 and Mitsubishi’s rose 76.6% to 7,548.

After two months, Toyota’s 75,540 deliveries were 31.6% higher than like-2011, with Isuzu sales rising 10.8% to 29,174 and Mitsubishi up 63.4% with 15,066.

Toyota led the new-car segment through February as sales climbed 16.8% to 31,308 units, ahead of Nissan, up 111.8% to 11,299 and Mazda, 51.5% to 7,051. Flood-stricken Honda’s deliveries plunged 95.3% after two months to just 855.

Toyota continued to lead the 1-ton pickup segment in the first two months of the year, with sales up 51.5% to 41,166 units, followed by Isuzu, improving 12.1% to 27,037 and Mitsubishi, jumping 77.7% to 14,421.

Chevrolet was the runaway leader among non-Japanese auto makers, with February sales soaring 145.6% to 5,216 units. The brand’s 1-ton pickup sales surged 211.3% to 2,587 to place the brand fourth in the segment. Its new-car deliveries rose 39.8% to 1,479.

This left Chevrolet with 2-month sales climbing 121.4% to 9,001 units. Pickup truck deliveries jumped 177.5% to 4,343, while its new-car sales were ahead 43.0% to 2,797.

Ford saw its February deliveries grow 53.7% to 3,404 units, for a 2-month total up 60.2% to 6,656.

Ford’s new-car sales rose 60.4% in February to 2,223 units, boosting its year-to-date total 70.1% to 4,658. The auto maker’s 1-ton pickup sales improved 44.7% in February to 1,137, good for a 2-month total up 43.2% to 1,899.