Thai Market Sets Record in 2012, Completing Post-Flood Recovery

Thai new-vehicle sales surged 80.9% to a record 1,436,335 units in 2012 with the ebbing of the effects of the huge national floods and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster the prior year.

Toyota Thailand, which collates national sales data for the industry, says commercial-vehicle deliveries soared 76.2% to 763,875 units, while new-car demand jumped 86.6% to 672,460.

The new-car sales surpassed the once-dominant 1-ton pickup segment, where volume rose 82.2% to 666,106 units.

The year ended with December sales rocketing 165.1% to 144,676 units, led by Toyota, up 172.1% to 40,266; Isuzu’s 160.7% gain to 21,483; and a resurgent Honda, up 831.0% to 20,462 after being all but wiped out by the 2011 floods that inundated its factory and shut it down for five months.

Toyota Motor Thailand President Kyoichi Tanada says the year’s unprecedented demand was driven by the country’s economic growth, the government’s first-car scheme, a backlog of orders from the 2011 natural disasters and production-capacity expansion.

Toyota continued its market dominance with 2012 sales up 77.9% to 516,086 units for a 35.9% share.

Its car sales climbed 62.8% to 224,816 units, while CV deliveries jumped 99.8% to 291,270, including 1-ton pickups, surging 99.8% to 269,722.

Tanada says Toyota expects to buck the predicted fall in 2013 with a sales target up 11.0% to 5000,000 units.

Toyota sees its new-car deliveries falling 11% to 200,000 units, but more than offset by a 3.0 increase in CV sales to 300,000, including 1-ton pickups up 5.6% to 285,000.

“The 2013 total domestic market is projected at more than 1.2 million units or around (a) 10% decrease compared to the previous year,” Tanada says in a statement.

Isuzu finished the year as Thailand’s second-biggest brand, with sales up 61.4% to 213,380 units, ahead of Honda, up 103.9% to 171,208.

In the new-car segment, Honda took second place, rising 109.7% to 163,442 units, topping Nissan, which rose 116.4% to 103,504.

In the CV segment, Isuzu was second with sales up 61.4% to 213,380 units, ahead of Mitsubishi, gaining 49.6% to 87,033. Isuzu was in second place in the 1-ton pickup segment with deliveries up 61.8% to 194,736.

Honda Thailand sales soared 104% to a record 171,208 vehicles despite losing all production in the first quarter.

Senior Vice President Pitak Pruittisarikorn says in a statement Honda made up for lost time by launching 10 new models in nine months, six of which qualified for the first-car tax rebate.

Honda predicts Thailand’s 2013 market will be equal to or slightly lower than the 2012 record.

“Honda plans to continuously launch new models to meet all customer lifestyles and has set a sales target of over 200,000 units for 2013,” Pitak says.

Honda is asking for confidence and clarity from the government so it can plan for the future.

“We need to plan together, but if the rules and regulations that the government has announced could be changed or altered later, it will be difficult for everyone,” he says.

Mazda had its best year since building its first plant in Thailand in 1975, with sales climbing 76% to 73,764 units.

Managing Director Choichi Yuki says in a statement Mazda plans to hike sales 10% this year to 80,000 units with new-vehicle launches and limited-edition models released in every quarter.

“This is made up of 60% passenger cars and 40% pickup trucks, which is a highly challenging feat for Mazda in Thailand as new-car-industry demands may not grow,” Yuki says.

Mazda believes industry vehicle sales will remain stable in 2013 at 1.2 million to 1.3 million units, despite the end of the government’s first-car tax-rebate scheme.

A large number of back orders will help maintain the sales momentum during the first and second quarters, while market competition will heat up further during the second half of the year, the auto maker predicts.

Mitsubishi Thailand President Nobuyuki Murahashi says his company has set a target of 120,000 units for 2013.

“Last year (was) the golden year of Thai automotive industry; however, we did not see the real total demand of the market as number of the bookings were boosted by the government first-car buyer policy,” he says in a statement.

“In 2013, there is no more government promotion and the market will return to normal and serve people who really want automobiles, without any government stimulation.”

Chevrolet credits the first-buyer scheme and strong post-flood demand for its 139% sales growth to a record 75,461 units.

Chevrolet Thailand and General Motors Thailand President Martin Apfel says the 2012 result was higher than the combined 66,733 units delivered from 2009 through 2011.

Apfel predicts Chevrolet’s Thai sales will grow 3% this year and top 100,000 units, and the auto maker is hiring 400 more workers to take the total above 6,000 as it adds more production shifts.

The Colorado finished the year as the most popular non-Japanese 1-ton pickup, with sales up 295.5% at 37,310 units.

Ford ended 2012 with 12-month deliveries up 87.9% to a record 54,865 units.

Ford closed out 2012 with its best-ever monthly performance in Thailand as December sales soared 234% to 7,210 units, led by record totals for the Fiesta, Ranger and Focus.