The Thai domestic pickup truck market, including pickup-based passenger vehicles (PPVs), expanded by 6.4% to 127,501 units in the first four months of 2008 – according to unofficial data released by Toyota Motor Thailand. This compares with 119,870 units sold a year earlier.
There was a significant divergence in the performances of the individual manufacturers, despite the overall segment growth. Toyota outperformed strongly with a 10.6% rise in sales to 51,524 units – to consolidate its position at the top of the pickup truck segment. The figures include 4,977 sales of its pickup-based Fortuner SUV.
Isuzu, the pickup segment market leader until 2005, also put in a strong performance but has failed to gain ground on its fierce rival. In the four-month period its pickup truck sales rose by just over 8% to 45,940 units, including 2,872 Mu-7 SUV derivatives.
Mitsubishi’s Triton model made the strongest gain, with volumes rising by 14% to 9,010 units and Chevrolet’s sales rose by 1.5% to 4,206 units. Nissan’s sales of the Frontier pickup dropped marginally to 10,708 units, but the biggest loss was incurred by Ford and Mazda, with 3,026 units (-18%) and 3,087 units (-28%) respectively.
Tony Pugliese
