Car Features - Cars That Filipinos Bought In 2008

For the second time, we'll feature car sales figures on this site. With October supposedly being the "eighth" month of the year, let's pick out 2008 simply this year has 8 on the end. In that year, a crisis that affected rice  and gasoline supply loomed, plus the financial crisis that crippled the largest economic powerhouse, United States. With figures from Top Gear Philippines and Best Selling Cars Blog, here are the top 10 best selling vehicles of 2008.

10 years ago, the industry sold cars below the 100,000 mark, but it has been rebounded later on to 124,449 cars being driven off dealership floors. This was 10 years (again) that vehicle sales returned to the six digit figures, with 2007 being the first year for this decade. With people getting fuel conscious during that year, fuel efficient sedans and vehicles with a diesel option made up this list.

After 3 years that the Toyota Innova took control of the sales charts, the Vios wrestles the top spot selling 12,020 units, up 38%. Filipino car buyers had been feeling the pinch of weekly gas price increases as well as taxi operators had been looking to replenish their fleet.

Down 5% and having 10,000 flat sales, the Toyota Innova is now the second best selling car in the country. Despite a minor model change later that year, this didn't help any further.

A casualty of high gas prices, despite the availability of two diesel engines, is the Toyota Fortuner having sold 5,588 units and saw a 23% decrease. The arrival of the second gen Mitsubishi Montero Sport was a threat to an otherwise aging model.

The fourth Toyota on the top 4 is the Toyota Avanza, with 5,515 driving off Toyota dealers and a 12% decline.

Let's refresh ourselves for the meantime with a car not wearing a Toyota badge. At fifth spot is the Isuzu Crosswind which saw 5,264 being sold inside Isuzu showrooms but down 2%. I have one explanation why this sold well, the standard diesel engine especially that Filipinos want something fuel efficient.

At sixth place with 5,174 sales and a decline of 32% is the Honda Civic. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the price increases as well as an aging platform. The smaller City overtook this car in 2009 and sold in the 3,000 unit range.

In contrast to the Crosswind's sales decline, the Mitsubishi Adventure managed to post an increase of 2% and selling 5,164 units. The upward trend for this vehicle continued until 2010, with the Isuzu having a decrease in 2009 but went up the following year.

Visiting the top 10 is the Toyota Corolla Altis, redesigned in 2008 and having 4,360 sales for its first year. It had overtaken the Civic in the compact class the following year and didn't have the Civic threaten this sedan ever since.

Selling well despite its expiration date is the Honda City, up 7% with 4,197 units being driven off Honda dealers. The following year, it sold double than the figures set in 2008.

Also having a 7% increase is the business favorite Mitsubishi L300 Crew Cab, having 4,049 units driven to businessmen. Why did it weathered the fuel and economic crisis? Simple answers, a diesel engine under the hood comes standard and the cost of maintaining one does not dent their wallets.

These vehicles sold well during the turbulent times that 2008 offered to the consumers. I think they sold well because they deserve it, fitting to the situation.