KUALA LUMPUR (June 15): UMW Holdings Bhd's UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) saw lower vehicle sales by 18.2% in May 2021 when it recorded 7,595 units sold compared with 9,280 units in April 2021.

However, on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, the 7,595 units registered in May 2021 were 120% more than the 3,456 units registered in May 2020.

"The all-new Toyota Corolla Cross and Harrier, and the improved Fortuner and Innova also contributed positively to UMWT's sales in May.

"For the first five months of the year, UMWT sold a total of 34,026 vehicles, significantly higher than the 14,052 units registered in the corresponding period of 2020 which was impacted by the Movement Control Order (MCO) 1.0. UMWT targets to sell 62,000 units in 2021," the group said in a statement today.

Similarly, UMW's associate Perodua saw y-o-y improvement in terms of sales. It registered 17,973 units sold in May 2021, significantly higher than the 7,886 units recorded a year ago.

However, the 17,973 units sold in May were 11.8% month-on-month (m-o-m) lower than the 20,399 units achieved in April 2021, mainly due to the shortage of semiconductor chips, the group noted.

Nevertheless, "the demand remains strong for all Perodua models", the group stated.

"For the first five months of the year, Perodua delivered a total of 96,281 vehicles, 82% higher than the 52,920 units registered in the corresponding period of 2020 and is on track to achieve its target of 240,000 units this year," it added.

The UMW Group achieved automotive sales of 25,568 units in May 2021, more than double of the 11,342 units registered in May 2020 as the performance a year ago was adversely impacted by the imposition of the MCO 1.0.

UMW said the surge in sales for both UMWT and its associate company, Perodua, was mainly driven by new model introductions, festive campaigns and the sales tax exemption despite the challenges brought about by the escalating rate of Covid-19 infections as well as the global shortage in semiconductor chips.

UMW Holdings's president and group chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Mohd Kenali said: "Demand for UMWT and Perodua vehicles remains strong, with both marques continuing to register healthy sales. However, the semiconductor chips' shortage has impacted Perodua's production and it is exploring various means to overcome this problem. Both UMWT and Perodua have a healthy level of outstanding bookings that can be fulfilled once the chips' problem is resolved."

"UMW expects the automotive sales momentum will continue despite the extended MCO 3.0 especially with the extension of the sales tax exemption to Dec 31, 2021," he added.

At the time of writing, UMW's share price gained one sen or 0.31% to RM3.19, valuing the group at RM3.73 billion.