Malaysia sales of Toyota and Lexus up 20% year-on-year, despite August 2021 drought

UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), distributors of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Malaysia, shared that cumulative sales of Toyota and Lexus vehicles from January to August 2021 stands at 38,085 units. That is an increase of 20 percent compared to the same period in 2020, with 31,734 units sold .

This is despite a 56 percent drop in sales volume of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in August 2021, where UMWT sold 2,524 units, compared to August 2020. 

UMWT's President, Mr Ravindran K shared that the improvement in cumulative sales (despite the drop in August 2021) is due to the continued strong sales momentum that started last year, especially with the exemption of SST (Sales & Service Tax).

With the resumption of business activities in the auto sector as well as other industries, UMWT is looking forward to the return to normalcy. Mr. Ravindran gave assurance that all sales and service outlets will follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specified by the Health Ministry.

Customers and visitors will be required to have temperature scans and register their visit using the MySejahtera app, as well as use hand sanitizers and facemasks at all times. The employees at all facilities will likewise follow SOPs for protection and safety.

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“It has certainly been challenging for us, but we understand the necessity of the actions taken by the Government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On our part, we have made sure that our workforce has been vaccinated so that we can safely resume and continue our activities at our facilities around the country,” he said. 

"We will be having sales promotions in the coming months so if you are shopping for a new vehicle, look out for them as you will get great deals and of course, save on sales tax until the end of the year,” he said. “Our loyal customers are also not forgotten and we will soon announce a new program that will reward them for their loyalty to the brand over more than five decades.”

For the month of September, customers can enjoy the lowest instalment for the Toyota Yaris from RM493 a month with EZ Beli, while those who buy a Toyota RAV4 can get a cash rebate of up to RM10,000. All models have exemption of sales tax until the end of 2021, and customers can save up to RM17,391 for the popular Toyota Alphard MPV with this exemption.

Meanwhile, production activities have resumed at the two assembly plants in Selangor. While
there is a small backlog of orders to meet due to the shutdown, UMW Toyota Motor expects to be able to deliver new vehicles to customers within a reasonable time-frame.