MITSUBISHI MOTORS Philippines Corp. (MMPC) said its vehicle inventory remains resilient despite the recent flooding in Thailand, from where it imports cars.
“So far, we haven’t had any (impact on) our vehicle supplies at this point,” MMPC President and Chief Executive Officer Ritsu Imaeda told reporters on the sidelines of an event last week.
The Thai Meteorological Department recently issued a fresh warning of heavy to very heavy rains in some parts of the country between Oct. 18 and 25.
Mitsubishi Motors Thailand is the Japanese automaker’s largest production base outside of Japan. The Philippines imports its Montero Sport and Triton models from there.
Its Japanese parent announced plans in July to invest $473.23 million in its Thai plant by 2030 to boost electric vehicle (EV) production.
For 2026, MMPC projects overall sales growth to be in line with last year’s performance as buyer appetite remains lackluster.
“Our sales are on a bit of a downtrend, because of the transition to hybrid electric vehicles,” Mr. Imaeda said.
In the eight months to August, MMPC’s vehicle sales dropped 20.3% to 46,162 units.
In the Philippines, MMPC produces the L300 and Mirage G4 vehicles at its 23-hectare facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The company said it plans to invest P7 billion to produce hybrid EVs, as well as to assemble batteries and other components in Laguna. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz