KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — The UMW Group continues to register healthy automotive sales in April 2021 through both UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) and its associate company, Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua), with total deliveries of 29,679 vehicles for the month.

In a statement today, the group said UMWT achieved sales of 9,280 units in April 2021, 12.7 per cent higher than the 8,232 units registered in March 2021, amid strong demand for the recently launched Toyota Corolla Cross and Toyota Harrier.

It said Toyota Vios, Yaris and Hilux continued to be UMWT’s best-selling models.

“The improved Toyota Fortuner and Innova also contributed positively to the April sales.

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“For the first four months of the year, UMWT sold a total of 26,431 vehicles, significantly higher than the 10,596 units registered in the corresponding period of 2020 which was impacted by the imposition of the first Movement Control Order (MCO 1.0). UMWT targets to sell 62,000 units in 2021,” it said.

Meanwhile, UMW’s associate company, Perodua, registered sales of 20,399 units in April 2021, lower than the 24,431 units registered in the preceding month, mainly due to the semiconductor chips shortage, which has adversely affected the automotive industry.

“Nevertheless, the demand for Perodua Ativa that was launched on March 3 remains strong with an average daily bookings of 290 units. Perodua delivered 4,624 units of Ativa in April, bringing the total since launch close to 9,000 units,” it said.

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For the first four months of the year, Perodua delivered a total of 78,304 vehicles, up 73.9 per cent from 45,034 units registered in the corresponding period in 2020 which was impacted by MCO 1.0.

Perodua targets to sell 240,000 units this year.

“We are pleased with the continuous strong sales recorded by both UMWT and Perodua. The newly launched models have been well received by our customers, leading to higher sales as well as an improving order bank,” UMW Holdings Bhd president and group chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Fuaad Kenali said.

He said the company is doing its best to increase production to ensure timely deliveries to customers.

However, he said the semiconductor chips shortage has impacted Perodua’s production and it is exploring various means to overcome this problem.

“We wish to express our appreciation to our customers for their unwavering support for our products and services,” he said.

On other development, UMW said UMW Grantt International Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer and distributor of GRANTT lubricants, recently announced the sponsorship of Malaysia’s promising motorcycle racer, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, for the second consecutive year.

It said the extension of Hafizh Syahrin’s sponsorship in the Moto2 championship for the 2021 season bodes favourably for all parties involved as well as for the development of motorsports in Malaysia.

It added that the collaboration provided UMW with the opportunity to introduce GRANTT lubricants to a global audience to further enhance its brand presence. — Bernama