Pickup trucks were best-selling cars in the Philippines in Q4 2019

In 2019, we launched a five-car comparo that was in response to a rise in a certain segment of cars in the Philippines. We’re talking about pickup trucks and their rise to prominence following the body style’s exemption for the government’s mandated industry-wide price increase. With favorable prices and models that have truck-loads of utility and capability, it’s natural that many manufacturers were able to sell many units back in 2019 to consumers who want to make the most out of their money. 

Since AutoDeal gets consumers through the initial steps and followthroughs of car buying and subsequently car ownership, we’re able to track buying habits and behavior from data that was gathered through the site. In terms of body styles, the light pickup truck sales number kept on climbing as the year 2019 drew to a close. We compiled all this data into our Industry Insights issue for Q4 of 2019. 

Quite impressive, for the pickup segment since it was among the bottom-five most bought body types for Q1 of 2017. The segment has since grown and is now the most sold type of vehicle on AutoDeal.com.ph for Q4 2019. In the 3rd quarter of 2019, pickups were able to beat out subcompacts in terms of sales, and the segment appeared to have been trading places since the start of 2019. 

As for the best-selling models on our site, the Nissan Navara remains a crowd-favorite with its heritage and its feature-set, while the Ford brand remains a strong seller on AutoDeal with two pickups, namely the Ranger as the 1st runner up and the Ranger Raptor as the 2nd runner up. 

Consumers are looking for the most bang for their hard-earned peso these days, and pickups do fit the bill for most Pinoys in their automotive buying requirements. Instead of just opting for a subcompact sedan, there is a good incentive for shopping up and buying a pickup truck. Many models that cater to different needs and feature-sets are present but the formula for each model remains the same which includes a diesel engine, generous ground clearance, a serviceable bed, and even 4x4 capabilities if you choose the right variant. These are key features for the segment and are substantial advantages considering that both types are capable of seating 5 people. 

Our metrics also indicate that consumers are also more likely to shop at a price point that is a little higher than P1,000,000. Many pickup trucks already start at this price, and can even be had under a million like the Isuzu D-max in its baser variants or the Navara at its most affordable. Other models still start at over a million like the Ford Ranger, but with the XLS 2.2L 4x4 variant, Filipinos can have a pickup that is capable of driving all four wheels to get out of sticky situations.