Sorry Honda, Toyota is Malaysia’s best-selling non-national brand in 2022 with 100k sold



Honda Malaysia announced yesterday that it’s the best-selling non-national passenger car brand in the nation with 80,200 units sold last year. But just one day later, UMW Toyota Motor has rebutted with its own claim for the best-selling non-national car brand in Malaysia in 2022, with 100,042 units sold.

Confused? Well, here’s the thing – they can both be true. Honda claimed itself to be the best-selling non-national passenger car brand, because they don’t sell commercial vehicles such as pick-ups like Toyota does. So if you take away the 27,198 units of Hilux sold, Toyota’s passenger cars managed only 72,844 units sold last year, putting them in second place behind Honda.

Carmakers will do anything to make their numbers look good, and this is another case of being ‘technically correct’, despite coming off as a little disingenuous – especially with more and more people buying pick-ups as lifestyle vehicles these days. Anyway, we digress.

Together with Lexus, UMW Toyota Motor managed to deliver 101,035 vehicles in 2022, representing a 40% increase over the previous year despite the challenging market conditions as well as supply chain issues that has plagued the automotive industry globally.

Aside from the Hilux in the pick-up truck segment, the Toyota Corolla Cross (C-segment SUV), Hiace (One-ton Van), and Fortuner (Light Duty Wagon) also posted strong sales across the year to claim the crown in their segments, with 17,208, 390, and 3,432 units sold respectively.

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Commenting on the sales report, UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K. said, “We are delighted to have been able to put smiles and deliver happiness to so many of our customers across the nation, and thank each and every one of them for their support.

“I also wish to express our appreciation to all our staff, dealers and business partners who overcame a challenging year. Together, we will continue to keep our customers happy and ensure that quality and service will always remain at the highest levels.”

READ MORE: Toyota Camry price increased by RM10k in Malaysia for 2023, Corolla up RM4k

The company’s Customer Service Operations also surpassed 1.25 million vehicles last year, which it says is “a nod to the exceptional level of after sales service that UMW Toyota Motor is known for”.

Moving forward, the company will be unveiling a new Agency Retail Model in 2023, giving Toyota and Lexus customers a “hassle and worry-free vehicle purchasing experience” with a new sales process through premier agents and fair and transparent pricing.

“We understand the many frustrations and pain-points of purchasing a new vehicle and have re-designed a sales process that is driven to be more customer centric. Our customers will no longer have to haggle or shop around for the ‘best price’. The vehicle purchase process will become easy and more welcoming”, Ravindran K. added.

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