KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — UMW Group’s (UMW) automotive sales have continued to improve in March 2022, as the number of vehicles delivered by the group surged by 48 per cent to 35,246 units from 23,853 units sold in February.

Sales were boosted by the conglomerate’s move to ramp up production to fulfil its encouraging outstanding order book.

In a statement today, the group said UMW Toyota Motor’s (UMWT) sales had surged 32 per cent month-on-month (m-o-m) to 8,487 units in March 2022 from 6,432 units in the preceding month.

“In the first quarter of 2022 (Q1 2022), UMWT sold 22,447 units, 31 per cent higher than the 17,151 units sold in Q1 2021.

“Top-selling models in Q1 2022 were the Hilux, Vios, Corolla Cross and Yaris,” it said, adding that UMWT had launched Season 5 of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival in March 2022 as part of its efforts to further strengthen the Toyota brand in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, UMW’s associate company, Perodua, saw its sales jumping by 54 per cent m-o-m to 26,759 units in March 2022.

In Q1 2022, its sales rose by 6.0 per cent year-on-year to 61,624 units from 57,909 units in Q1 2021, with the recently facelifted Myvi as its top-selling model, followed by the Axia and Bezza.

As such, Perodua has achieved 25 per cent of its 2022 sales target of 247,800 units, the group said.

“While the Covid-19 pandemic and component supply issues continue to linger, Perodua is working closely with its suppliers and dealers to minimise the impact on its customers,” said UMW.

UMW Holdings Bhd president and group chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Kenali said both UMWT and Perodua are on track to achieve their sales target for the year and are ramping-up production based on the available capacity to expedite the delivery of vehicles to customers.

“Furthermore, both companies plan to introduce several all-new and facelifted models this year to drive sales and achieve their targets.

“We wish to express our appreciation to our customers for their strong support of our products and services,” he added. — Bernama