Suzuki Philippines (SPH) finishes the first quarter of 2018 with the highest year-to-date (YTD) vehicle sales in the entire Philippine automotive industry.

Achieving 21.4 percent YTD sales growth as of March, SPH strengthens its presence in the market and sets its sight on continued uptick in the months to come. It hopes to continue moving up the industry sales charts after taking the top 6 position in local automobile sales, a step up from its seventh rank in the first quarter of 2017.

The initial phase implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law slowed down the auto industry in recent months, with sales in nearly all auto categories declining. Suzuki Philippines cushioned itself from the negative impact by strategically deciding to keep its 2017 price list for a certain period in Q1. This buoyed up company sales further, with Q1 sales growth double that of the entire local auto industry.

“We were prudent with our marketing efforts for the first quarter of the year because we anticipated developments in the business landscape as a result partly of the TRAIN Law and of course other factors,” shared SPH Vice President and Automobile Division General Manager Shuzo Hoshikura. “The Suzuki brand has been consistently driving forward, strengthening its market footprint nationwide. It would be a step back to not take advantage of all opportunities to resonate better with our key stakeholders, in particular reflect the resiliency of the Filipino people.”

The consistently strong performance of the company’s top-selling vehicles in recent months, particularly the Ertiga, Celerio, and Vitara models, contributed largely to the robust increase in sales for the first quarter. The three award-winning models combined accounted for 58 percent of the auto brand’s sales for the period.

The well-loved family vehicle Ertiga continues to be the best-selling Suzuki vehicle with 33 percent share of sales. Celerio, ranks second in terms of Suzuki sales with a 13 percent share. Finally, with a 12 percent sales share, the recently-launched Vitara officially becomes a Suzuki best-seller.

Targeted and effective brand-building efforts, specifically expansion and network building initiatives, contribute to strengthening the Suzuki brand’s foothold in the country. Dealership openings in key growth areas such as Isabela, and soon in Rizal and Batangas, widen the company’s reach, enabling it to serve more Filipinos while increasing brand visibility.

In addition, Suzuki is set to launch the all-new Dzire with Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology upgrade soon.