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The local auto industry closed October with mixed results as the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) trimmed their year-end forecast amid another month of soft sales. 

The group now expects 486,000 units to be sold by December, down from the original 500,000-unit target. Even with the adjustment, the new goal is still slightly higher than last year’s 467,252 units.

The cautious outlook follows a sluggish run through the “Ber” months. CAMPI-TMA members moved 40,014 units in October, barely 1 percent higher than the same month in 2024. 

To hit the revised target, the industry would need to average about 47,500 units per month for the rest of the year. The highest monthly total so far was in June at 40,483 units, making the final stretch a steep climb.

Toyota remained the dominant force locally as it secured its best month of the year with 20,404 units sold in October, which gives it a commanding 50.99 percent market share. The brand reached strong numbers across major segments: 4,694 passenger cars, 4,857 Category I vehicles, 10,836 Category II units, and 17 Category III models. 

Mitsubishi followed with 7,313 units, while Suzuki and Nissan rounded out the upper tier of the sales chart.

But Toyota’s momentum was not limited to the Philippines. A separate global report from RTTNews showed that the automaker also posted gains worldwide in the same month. Toyota Motor Corp.’s worldwide production climbed 3.1 percent year-on-year in October to 1.05 million units, with output rising both inside and outside Japan. 

Sales also grew 3 percent globally to 1 million units, supported by improvements in key overseas markets. Daihatsu and Lexus sales contributed to the overall uptick, although Hino continued to register declines.

Passenger car domestic sales fell sharply in October, dropping 18.8 percent to 8,155 units from 10,044 a year ago. Commercial vehicles kept the industry afloat with 6.3 percent growth at 31,859 units, representing almost 80 percent of the month’s total volume. 

Category I, which primarily covers AUVs, rose 17.2 percent to 8,309 units, while Category II, which includes pickups, SUVs, and light commercial models, saw a more modest 3 percent uptick at 22,471 units.

Electrified vehicles continued to gain traction. Combined hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric sales hit 3,603 units in October, up 62 percent from September and equivalent to 9 percent of all vehicles sold that month. 

Hybrid models led the jump with 3,044 units. BEVs dipped to 284 units, while PHEVs rose sharply to 275. These figures exclude BYD, which is not part of CAMPI or TMA membership.

The first 10 months of 2025, for the Philippine market, ended slightly lower than last year. Total sales reached 383,424 units from January to October, down just 0.2 percent from 384,310 units in the same period in 2024. 

Passenger car sales slid more than 23 percent, while commercial vehicles rose nearly 8 percent. Electrified vehicles accounted for 24,265 units so far this year, led by hybrids at 19,379 units.

Even with the industry pacing behind expectations and consumer sentiment appearing cautious, pockets of growth, especially in electrified vehicles, continue to emerge. Toyota’s strong October performance, both locally and internationally, adds another layer of confidence as the industry heads into the final two months of the year.