KUALA LUMPUR (May 10): UMW Holdings Bhd’s UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) saw a 12.7% increase in vehicle sales in April 2021. 

UMW noted in a statement today that “new model introduction, festive campaigns and the sales tax exemption increased demand and drove sales”.

It added that UMWT’s surge in sales was supported by strong demand for the recently launched Toyota Corolla Cross and Toyota Harrier. It also noted that Toyota Vios, Yaris and Hilux continue to be UMWT’s best-selling models. 

“The improved Toyota Fortuner and Innova also contributed positively to April sales. For the first four months of the year, UMWT sold a total of 26,431 vehicles, significantly higher than the 10,596 units registered in the corresponding period of 2020 which was impacted by the imposition of the first Movement Control Order (MCO 1.0). UMWT targets to sell 62,000 units in 2021,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, UMW’s associate Perodua, on the other hand, saw a decrease in sales from 24,431 in March to 20,399 in April due to the shortage of semiconductor chips.  

Despite the lower vehicle sales in April compared to March, Perodua sees strong demand for the newly launched Perodua Ativa, which was launched on March 3. 

UMW said when it comes to Ativa, there is an average of 290 bookings a day, and it delivered 4,624 units in April, bringing the total deliveries for this car to almost 9,000. 

UMW added: “For the first four months of the year, Perodua delivered a total of 78,304 vehicles, 73.9% higher than the 45,034 units registered in the corresponding period of 2020 which was impacted by the MCO 1.0. Perodua targets to sell 240,000 units this year.”

UMW president and group CEO Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Kenali said: “We are pleased with the continued strong sales recorded by both UMWT and Perodua. The newly launched models have been well received by our customers, leading to higher sales as well as an improving order bank. We are doing our best to increase production to ensure timely deliveries to our customers. However, the semiconductor chips shortage has impacted Perodua’s production and it is exploring various means to overcome this problem.”

In the statement, UMW also noted that UMW Grantt International Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer and distributor of GRANTT lubricants, recently announced the sponsorship of Malaysia’s promising motorcycle racer Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah for the second consecutive year. 

It stated that the collaboration provides UMW with the opportunity to introduce GRANTT lubricants to a global audience to further enhance its brand presence.

UMW was 0.62% or two sen lower at RM3.22 at midday break. Its market capitalisation is at RM3.78 billion.