Malaysia, Philippines,Vietnam Top SE Asia Markets
Executive Summary
Despite last year’s record production and sales, the Malaysian Automotive Assn. predicts a 2.5% decline in sales in 2016, reflecting the country’s current sluggish economy, triggered by a fall in crude-oil prices and the weakening ringgit.
TOKYO – Southeast Asia’s auto markets reported mixed production and sales results in 2015 with Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam registering records in both categories.
Malaysian automakers produced a record 614,644 vehicles last year, up 3% from like-2014, including 563,883 cars and 50,781 commercial vehicles. The Malaysian Automotive Assn. reports 2015 was the sixth consecutive year for production to surpass 600,000 units.
Passenger vehicles include cars, SUVs, vans and multipurpose vans. Commercial vehicles include trucks, panel vans and buses.
The association reports sales grew marginally to 666,674 units, also a new high, including 591,298 cars and 75,376 CVs. The leading brands were Perodua, an affiliate of Daihatsu, with a 32.0% market share; Proton (15.3%); Honda (14.2%); Toyota (14.1%); and Nissan (7.1%).
The trade group is forecasting a 2.5% decline in sales in 2016 to 650,000 units, reflecting Malaysia’s current sluggish economy, triggered by a fall in crude-oil prices and the weakening ringgit.
In the Philippines, demand grew 23% to a record 288,609 units in 2015 with trucks accounting for 60% of the total and passenger vehicles 40%.
The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines reports Toyota had the largest share, 43.3%, followed by Mitsubishi and Ford at 18.7% and 8.8%, respectively.
Output grew 11% to 98,768 units including 62,373 cars and 36,395 trucks.
Also registering record demand was Vietnam, where sales grew 57% to 209,267 units. Included were 116,228 cars and 93,039 CVs, both new highs.
According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Assn., sedans were the largest sales segment with 67,245 deliveries, followed by light trucks (5-10 tons GVM) at 36,158 units, and SUVs, 29,285.
The top-selling brand was Toyota, accounting for 24% of sales.
Production, according to the ASEAN Automotive Federation, grew 42% to 171,753 units including 99,052 cars and 72,701 CVs.
In Thailand, automakers reported production of 1,913,002 units, up 2% from like-2014, while sales slid 9% to 799,632, according to the ASEAN Automotive Federation. Included in the production total were 1,152,314 trucks.
The industry exported 1,004,795 units. In the Thai domestic market, trucks represented more than half of demand at 443,569 units. Passenger vehicles totaled 356,063 units.
Indonesia, the region’s second-largest market, witnessed a 15% decline in production from the previous year’s high to 1,098,780 units. Included in the 2015 total were 733,186 2-wheel-drive vehicles, 70,747 trucks and 61,499 cars. Included in the 2-wheel-drive segment were 177,102 so-called affordable energy saving models.
Reflecting the downturn in production, sales fell 16% to 1,013,291 units. Included were 82,306 imports, down 21%, according to the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries.
In Taiwan, automakers produced 351,085 cars and trucks in 2015, down 7% from the prior year, according to the Taiwan Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers Assn. Kuozui Motors, a Toyota affiliate, was the largest producer with 188,086 builds.
The association says Kuozui claimed 39% of sales, or 102,504 out of 262,593 units sold. Sales fell 7%. Following Kuozui were Yulon and China Motor, affiliates of Nissan and Mitsubishi, at 55,826 and 42,721 deliveries, respectively.
Rounding out the federation survey, Singapore, which has no assembly plants, reported 2015 sales of 78,609 units, up 66%, and Brunei reported a 20% decline to 14,406.
