UMW Toyota Motor registers 12% sales growth in 2010
UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd, the distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia, has retained the top spot in the sales charts amongst non-national brands by managing to sell 92,000 vehicles in 2010 – a 12% increase from 82,000 units sold in 2009.
“We have maintained our 2010 market share of above 15 percent against the Total Industry Volume (TIV) and sustained the number one position in the non-national segment for 21 consecutive years,” said UMW Toyota Motor’s newly appointed President, En. Ismet Suki.
He also said that the Vios remains as the company’s most popular model, selling nearly 33,700 units, followed by Hilux with 18,600 units and Camry with 11,500 units. The three models are also the leader in their respective vehicle segments.
Commenting on the Government’s extension of tax incentives for hybrid vehicles, En Ismet said, “We would like to thank the government for the extension and enhancement of Hybrid incentives announced in the last national budget. The Prius is now more affordable as the price is reduced to RM139,900 (On-the-road price with insurance for Peninsular Malaysia). With this new on-the-road price, we have been receiving strong response from customers.”
“The Lexus brand, has achieved a growth of 42 percent with 430 units compared to sales of 300 units in 2009. The Lexus RX 350 remains as the favorite among the Lexus model line-up,” he added.
After sales performance is also at an all time high, with 1.1 million vehicles returning to UMW’s authorized dealers for servicing in 2010. There was also strong growth in the company’s export business, which includes vehicles and parts, from RM671.3 million in 2009 to RM913.4 million in 2010.
UMWT’s plant in Shah Alam, Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) which was founded in 1968, also recorded its highest ever production volume, churning out 69,000 vehicles in 2010 which includes the Vios, Hiace, and vehicles of the IMV series. Plans are afoot for the plant to assemble the next generation Camry in 2012.
For 2011, UMW will be rolling out the Lexus CT 200h in the first quarter as the first model in a series of launches planned for the year. An already strong sales and service network will continue to be expanded, with new Lexus showrooms due for opening in Johor Bahru and the Klang Valley. A new Toyota 3S centre will also open soon in Ipoh.
“Vehicles delivery process has always been very important in new car sales. Aiming at improving delivery time to our customers, we are also investing RM 200 million to set-up and develop our new Central Stockyard facility in Bukit Raja, Klang,” added En. Ismet.
The stockyard project, which started last year, is expected to be completed and start operations within the third quarter of 2011. UMW Toyota Motor has invested close to RM 290 million from 2005 to 2009 to develop and modernize its manufacturing facilities.
“In order to live up to our customers’ expectations and deliver vehicles of high quality standards, we are investing RM 170 million from 2010 to 2012 to further develop ASSB. The investments are channeled to enhance Toyota’s quality, further improve automation and productivity,” concluded En Ismet.
The company also enjoyed a decent haul at our recent CIMB Autoworld Car of the Year Awards 2010, with our panel of judges and readers naming the Toyota Corolla Altis, Toyota Hilux and Lexus LS 460 Sport as winners in their respective categories.
