Toyota's sales up, Timor leads market

JAKARTA (JP): Automobile manufacturer PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) and the distributor of the country's national car, PT Timor Distributor Nasional (TDN), have each claimed to be leading players in the Indonesian automobile industry.

TAM announced here yesterday it sold 92,018 units in the January to November period this year, up 34 percent over the corresponding period last year, while TDN reported it retained its position as the leader in the sedan market in November by selling 1,644 Timor cars.

TAM, a joint venture between Indonesia's PT Astra International and Japan's Toyota Motor, said it controlled 25.1 percent of the Indonesian automobile market.

"The Kijang van remains our best seller with 75,907 units sold in the January to November period," TAM said in a statement, adding that the Kijang sales had surpassed the company's target set early this year.

The company's sales of Dyna trucks and Toyota Land Cruisers reached 7,795 (up 7.74 percent) and 909 (up 58.75 percent), respectively, in the 11-month period.

Sedan sales of the Crown, Corolla, Corona and Starlet reached 7,057, down 9.23 percent from the same period last year, TAM said.

TDN's director, Richard Hendarmo, said his company led the sedan market with the Timor car taking a 40.8 percent share in the January to November period.

"Out of a total of 44,594 units of the 1,300 cc to 1,600 cc categories sold (in Indonesia) in the period, 18,193 were Timors," he said adding that between October 1996 and November 1997, Timor car sales totaled 23,605.

Total automobile sales in Indonesia fell to 18,550 in November, down 39 percent from 30,449 units in October, TAM said.

TAM said it recorded overall sales for November of 5,789 units compared to 8,605 in October and 7, 094 in November 1996.

Suzuki's November sales were 1,906 against 5,676 in October, Daihatsu 841 against 2,503, Mitsubishi 3,366 against 4,059, Honda 314 against 283, Izusu 1, 691 against 3,963.

The company said that 4,059 other makes were sold compared to 5,360 in the previous month.

In the passenger car market, Toyota said it sold 382 in November against 519 in October while Suzuki sold 543 compared to 1,549.

National car maker Timor sold 1,644 models compared to 1,730 in October.

In the commercial car sector, Toyota said it sold 5,407 in November against 8,086 in October, Suzuki 1,363 against 4,127, Mitsubishi 3,154 against 3,817 and Izusu 1,691 versus 3,963.

TAM said its automobile and component exports in the period under review were valued at US$60 million.

The exports included 1,259 Kijang vans and Dyna trucks to Brunei Darussalam and Papua New Guinea, 27,276 7-K car engines to Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, and 46,620 spare parts and components to various countries, the company said. (icn)