Commercial Vehicle Market Begins to Recover, Suzuki Optimistic about 2026 Automotive Sector
JAKARTA — PT Suzuki Indomobil Sales (SIS) views Indonesia’s automotive market prospects for 2026 with greater optimism compared to the previous two years. One indicator is the rising sales of commercial vehicles in early 2026.
Deputy Managing Director SIS Dony Ismi Himawan Saputra stated that the automotive industry had faced pressure due to weakened consumer purchasing power in recent years.
“If we compare it to last year, we were in darkness for two years because purchasing power weakened,” said Dony in Jakarta on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
The company anticipates that there will be no major economic shocks throughout the year. “We see a strong likelihood that there will be no significant economic turbulence,” Dony said.
Additionally, automotive manufacturers have prepared various new products to stimulate consumer demand. “Secondly, we have already prepared several products and models to stimulate the market,” he said.
Dony added that increased activity in the commercial vehicle segment often serves as an early indicator of overall automotive market movement. This signal is evident from national car sales data released by the Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association (Gaikindo) for February 2026, where the Suzuki Carry pickup emerged as Indonesia’s best-selling model with 6,554 units distributed.
This figure surged sharply compared to January 2026, which recorded only 549 units.
Dony previously stated that the surge in commercial vehicle sales was partly driven by fleet purchases from corporate clients, including projects related to government programmes such as the free nutritious meal scheme (MBG—Makan Bergizi Gratis).
“These fleet purchases come from companies and several projects that we undertake to support the government. For commercial vehicles, one source is the MBG project, which contributes significantly,” said Dony.
Besides the Carry, other models that featured on the February 2026 bestseller list included the Toyota Kijang Innova with 6,041 units sold and the Daihatsu Gran Max Pick Up, which recorded 4,458 units.
“Indeed, this year is challenging. But we view it with considerable optimism. We hope that market volume this year will improve,” said Dony.