Thai Full-Year Forecast Boosted on Robust H1 Sales

With first-half sales surging 40.4% to a record 606,523 units, Thailand’s auto industry raises its annual sales forecast to a best-ever 1.2 million from the 1-million target set at the beginning of the year.

Toyota Thailand, which collates national sales data for the industry, says if the new target is achieved it would represent a 51.1% jump from the disaster-impacted 2011 total.

Toyota Thailand President Kyoichi Tanada tells a news conference the forecast is for 2012 sales of about 553,900 passenger cars, up 53.7%, and 646,100 commercial vehicles, up 49.0%. Deliveries within the CV 1-ton pickup segment are seen climbing 55.5% to 568,600 units.

“The growing domestic sales have been contributed by strong demand in the market, boosted by government subsidies,” Tanada says. “Also, vehicle production capability is back to normal and increasing.”

First-half saw CV sales grow 46.3% to 349,013 units and new-car deliveries improve 33.1% to 257,510. The important 1-ton pickup segment surged 49% to 305,293.

Toyota, which holds a 39.8% share of the Thai market, saw its first-half sales jump 54.3% to 241,245 units. It expects to reach 480,000, up 65.5%, by year’s end with CV sales spiking 96.0% to 297,900 and cars climbing 31.9% to 182,100.

Isuzu was a distant second with 6-month deliveries rising 21.6% to 97,324 units, ahead of Nissan, up 40.3% to 51,482.

Toyota also dominated first-half car sales, which increased 37.4% to 105,485 units. Honda’s first-half result was up 9.2% to 46,937, while Nissan jumped 77.2% to 42,270.

Toyota’s first-half CV deliveries climbed 70.7% to 135,760 units, followed by Isuzu, up 321.6% to 97,324 and Mitsubishi, up 42.2% to 42,969.

The 1-ton segment saw Toyota sales grow 74.6% to 125,457 units, with Isuzu up 22.1% to 89,139 and Mitsubishi up 42.2% to 42,969.

The first half ended strongly, with a 75.7% improvement in June sales to 123,471 units. Toyota led the way, up 78.9% to 45,346. Honda, now back to full production, followed, up 248.4% to 17,548. Isuzu was third, up 34.0% to 17,276.

June sales of new cars surged 84.2% to 60,373 units, with Toyota up 46.3% to 20,506 units, Honda ahead 257.9% to 17,094 and Nissan up 69.4% to 7,325.

CV sales for the month climbed 68.3% to 63,098 units, led by Toyota, up 119.1% to 24,840. Isuzu followed, up 34.0% to 17,276, ahead of Mitsubishi, up 23.0% to 7,101.

Within the CV segment, 1-ton pickup sales surged 69.1% in June to 55,102 units. Toyota deliveries jumped 122.0% to 23,075, ahead of Isuzu, up 32.5% to 15,631 and Mitsubishi, up 23.0% to 7,101.

In line with the industry trend, Mazda Thailand raises its full 2012 sales target to 70,000 units from 60,000 because of strong domestic demand. Mazda’s first-half sales climbed 50.6% to 30,577, driven by Mazda2 deliveries, up 44% to 18,064.

Mazda’s June result was up 61.1% to 6,301 units, a record for a single month. Managing Director Choichi Yuki says he expects intense competition in the second half in both the domestic and export markets.