Vehicle sales in the Philippines tumbled 10.2 percent in January as the market cooled following a record-breaking performance in late 2025, but electric vehicle demand provided a bright spot for the industry.
Total vehicle sales reached 33,696 units in the first month of 2026, down from 37,504 units a year earlier, according to a joint report from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA). The decline was felt across most major segments.
This also represented a 26-percent decline from 47,371 units sold in December 2025.
CAMPI president Jose Maria Atienza said the lower sales in the first month of the year was expected, following the year-end rush in the automotive market. The industry had delivered an exceptional performance in December 2025, marking the highest December sales volume since 2017.
Despite the slow start, Atienza said the January 2026 sales level indicates that the industry is still on pace to meet its year-end goal of surpassing 500,000 sales, which aligns with the steady pace observed during the second half of last year.
Commercial vehicles, which make up the bulk of the domestic market at 81.67 percent, saw sales slide 7.9 percent to 27,518 units from 29,875 units last year. Within this category, light commercial vehicles fell 8.8 percent to 20,392 units, while Asian utility vehicles and MPVs dropped 6.6 percent to 6,253 units.
Passenger car sales declined 20.1 percent to 6,178 units, representing an 18.33 percent market share.
While larger segments struggled, light-duty trucks and buses bucked the trend with a 21.7-percent increase to 605 units. Medium-duty trucks fell 94.3 percent to 226 units, and heavy-duty trucks dropped 39.1 percent to 42 units.
Electric vehicles (xEVs) continued to gain traction despite holding a small 7.75 percent market share. Total xEV sales reached 2,610 units. Battery electric vehicles rose 78.8 percent to 261 units, while hybrid electric vehicles climbed 43.4 percent to 2,072 units. Plug-in hybrids surged nearly 30-fold to 277 units.
Toyota Motor Philippines maintained its market leadership with 16,346 units sold, securing a 48.51 percent share despite a 9.6 percent year-on-year decline.
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines ranked second with a 20.78 percent share, followed by Suzuki at 4.88 percent, Nissan at 4.72 percent and Ford at 3.77 percent.
