ASEAN auto sales up sharply

ASEAN auto sales up sharply

SINGAPORE (AFP): Sales of new vehicles in Southeast Asia's four biggest markets rose 68 percent year-on-year in the five months to May, an industry survey showed.

Sales in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines totaled 367,333 units in the January to May period from 218,926 units sold a year earlier, according to Singapore-based Visteon, a global auto component maker.

Indonesia posted the sharpest growth, with vehicle sales roaring 446.45 percent to 99,071 units from only 18,130 last year.

Malaysian sales were up 26.55 percent to 135,267 units, while sales in the Philippines climbed 20.24 percent to 34,024 units. Thai sales advanced 50.8 percent to 98,971 units.

Sales for the month of May alone totaled 87,500 units, up 12.7 percent from April.

"We continue to see clear signs indicating a bright future for the ASEAN auto industry," said Terry Yanagisawa, Visteon's manager for Southeast Asia. "We look for the rising sales to continue for the remainder of 2000."

Japanese auto-maker Toyota topped the sales with a market share of 20 percent, while Malaysia's Proton came next accounting for 18 percent.