Toyota still supreme in auto sales in 2000

Japanese automaker Toyota Motors continued its dominance of the local auto market selling a total of 446 units in the whole of 2000. The figure represents more than 45 percent of overall auto sales in the Commonwealth throughout the year.

In data released by the Commonwealth Auto Dealers’ Association, Toyota sold 242 cars, 90 trucks, 37 vans and 77 sports utility vehicles to the CNMI market in 2000.

Compared to last year, the sales of the automaker increased by more than 21 percent. In 1999, CADA figures showed that Toyota sold 366 automobiles and captured over 43 percent of the market.

Following Toyota in the auto sales race was Nissan Motors with 176 units sold in 2000. Nissan sold a total of 67 cars, 70 trucks, four vans and 35 sports utility vehicles last year.

However, Nissan witnessed the biggest percentage jump among the top three with an over 55 percent increase in 2000. The automaker sold 113 units in 1999.

Coming in at third was Mitsubishi Motors with a total of 71 units sold in the entire 2000, which translates to only seven percent market share. Broken down, the automaker sold only 41 cars and 30 sports utility vehicles.

The 71 units sold last year is a 30-unit drop from Mitsubishi figures in 1999, when it sold a strong 101 units. The drop represents a close to 30 percent decrease in car sales for Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi’s sales troubles allowed Hyundai Motor to climb up the Commonwealth’s auto market. The South Korean automaker registered more than a six percent increase in car sales in 2000.

Last year Hyundai sold 70 units, made up of 58 cars and 12 sports utility vehicles. Its sales represented over seven percent of total auto sales in 2000.

Curiously, the sale of Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep automobiles for the whole 2000 registered one fat egg. This can be attributed to the folding up of Keico Motors last year.

Ford Motors, the one of only two remaining American automobile manufacturers available on the island, registered a modest 18 percent increase in sales. The Detroit, Michigan-based company sold a total of eight cars, 31 trucks, 20 vans and six sports utility vehicles in 2000.

General Motors, for its part, sold a total of only seven units in 2000 — two cars and five vans. Last year saw the reintroduction of GM automobiles in the Commonwealth.

Korean automaker Kia Motors had the biggest percentage gain in the local auto market with over 93 percent more units sold in 2000. Kia sold 62 units last year compared to only 32 the year before.