SsangYong Berjaya Motor Philippines (SBMP), the exclusive distributors of SsangYong vehicles and parts in the country, reported a robust 140 percent increase in its sales numbers compared to the brand’s output during its first year of operations in 2016.

For 2017, the Korean auto manufacturer’s full SUV lineup in the Philippines was able to surge forward from its launch year through its two full-service dealerships in Quezon City and Cebu. Its latest model, the Tivoli sub-compact crossover, led the way for the brand as it represented 43 percent of the total sales result last year. The Tivoli XLV, a longer and more spacious version of the same model equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged Common Rail Direct Injection diesel engine, is the brand’s second best-seller taking 29 percent of the total tally.

The Rodius Multi-Purpose Vehicle, with its 7-, 9- and 11-seater variants, was the brand’s third highest-selling model with a share of 20 percent. It also recently topped the recently concluded Department of Energy fuel efficiency run posting a 33.12 km/L consumption record making it the most fuel efficient diesel-engined vehicle in the market. While SsangYong’s compact SUV, the Korando, came in fourth in total sales with the final 8 percent.

“We are very pleased with the increased presence of SsangYong vehicles on our roads and the growing public acceptance of the brand this past year,” shares David Macasadia, Managing Director of SBMP. “Despite the challenges brought upon by our limited sales footprint, we at SsangYong have continued to pursue heightened awareness and exposure for the brand. We believe that our products are practical, value-laden alternatives to the rest of the market’s offerings and delivering them to more customers remains our goal this 2018. The brand lives up to its promise to deliver total customer satisfaction by ensuring top-level service and providing free PMS for 3 years and extending our product’s warranty coverage from two to five years. This innovation which we undertook in 2017 has made owning a SsangYong vehicle a truly pleasing experience.”