Hyundai distributor upbeat on vehicle mart

Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari) expects to continue its good sales performance next year with new models seen to appeal to consumers.

Hyundai sales are expected to reach 23,000 units by the end of 2012 and this may grow by 5 to 10 percent in 2013, Hari president and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo told reporters.

The diesel-powered Accent hatchback will be among the new models to be launched next year. The car will be launched in the first quarter and the target is to sell about 200 units per month. Pre-orders have so far reached 300, with deliveries from Korea to start in February, Agudo said.

Although Hyundai is still experiencing supply shortage, a 10-percent growth for 2013 is still achievable, she said. “It’s (supply shortage) a global phenomenon.”

For the Santa Fe model, for example, there is a supply gap of 30 percent for the Philippines, Agudo said.

Asked if there is a chance for the Philippines to host assembly of Hyundai cars, Agudo said that was possible “but not in the next 24 months.”

The country needs strong infrastructure support, good manpower supply and political stability to attract investments. “These are things that all investors are looking for,” Agudo said.

She also noted that with the Asean integration, which brings import tariffs down to zero, selling cars in markets within the region was not about being able to assemble them in that market. It is about being competitive in terms of appealing to consumers, she said.