Thailand's new vehicle market continued to expand strongly in April 2019, with sales rising by 8.7% to 86,076 units from 79,206 units in the same month last year according to wholesale data compiled by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
The follows a sales increase of over 11% in the first quarter despite a sharp slowdown in GDP growth to growth to 2.8% year-on-year compared with 3.6% in the fourth quarter of 2018- on slower private consumption and investment and declining exports. Vehicle sales in the first four months of the year were still 10.5% higher at 349,625 compared with 316,299 units a year earlier.
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Sales of pickup-based vehicles rose by 7.2% to 41,233 units in April and passenger car sales were 16.9% higher at 34,931 units, while SUV sales declined by 6.0% to 6,512 units commercial vehicles – excluding pickup-based vehicles – fell by over 13% to 3,400 units.
Toyota's sales jumped by almost 16% to 26,918 units last month, according to separate sources; while Isuzu's sales increased by 4.2% to 15,389 units; Honda 11,329 units (+8.6%); Mitsubishi Motors 6,669 units (+5.0%); Mazda 6,099 units (+38.0%); Nissan 4,773 units (+2.2%); and Ford 4,489 (-13.3%).
Overall car production in the country increased by 11.5% to 150,242 units last month, while exports fell by 7.5% to 67,144 units.
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