Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) continues to show their strength in the car manufacturing industry as their “big boys” provided strong performance for the month of February, boosting its sales for the first two months of the year.

Based on the combined reports from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), the all-new Isuzu mu-X rolled out 1,500 units for January and February, which reflects a big jump from the 78 units sold for its predecessor, the Isuzu Alterra, during the same period last year.

The all-new Isuzu mu-X, also showed a huge increase as it has sold 941 units in February, alone; compared to the 43 units it has delivered for the same month in 2014. The Isuzu mu-X was released September last year and has been in the market for five months.

A leader in its class, the Isuzu N-Series light-duty truck also flexed muscle in terms of sales, with 538 units year-to-date sold, versus the 390 units for the same duration for the previous year, reflecting 37.9-percent rise. For the month of February alone, it sales grew by 75.2 percent, selling 382 units this year surpassing the 218 units in 2014.

Also, IPC’s trucks and buses has reached 44 units sold, a 266.7 percent gain as compared to the 12 units sold year-to-date. For February, their trucks and buses sold 34 units this year, versus the 7 units in 2014, reflecting a 385.7-percent rise in unit sales.

The brisk sales performance of the three models buffered the 47.4 percent plummet of their best-seller Isuzu Crosswind AUV, from 894 units sold in 2014 to 470 units sold on year-to-date comparison. The February sales for the Crosswind also decreased by 52.7 percent, after it rolled out 213 units against the 451-unit performance same month last year.

Furthermore, the sales strength of the mu-X, N-Series and the Trucks and buses segment also cushioned the performance of the D-Max pick-up truck, which suffered a 15-percent drop after falling 87 units short from the 575 units delivered in January-February 2014, to 488 units for the same period this year. The D-Max pick-up truck fell by 22.6 percent in February this year, delivering only 243 units unlike its 314 units in 2014.

Overall, IPC has showed a 56-percent gain in sales year-to date, with its 3,040 units sold, contrasted with 1,949 units sold for the first two months of 2014.

IPC President Nobuo Izumina said that the IPC’s sales performance within the first two months of the year “reflect the strong lineup for the Philippines.”

“Our record only shows that Isuzu Philippines Corporation has a strong product lineup that is made up of various vehicles with specific purpose and offer great value for money. With the continued strength of the Philippine economy, such performance could go on as 2015 progresses,” Izumina said.

He also said that the slight drop in sales on some units are only due to the few calendar days that February has and that Filipinos are only recuperating from all the expenses that came upon January. “We expect better sales from our lineup, especially to our best-selling Isuzu Crosswind AUV,” he added.