♦ With the government exempting Sales Tax and car-buyers able to save money, new vehicle purchases have started rising, with July increasing by 29% over the June Total Industry Volume.

♦ The Total Industry Volume (TIV) of 57,552 units comprised 52,119 passenger vehicles, and 5,433 commercial vehicles (including pick-up trucks).

♦ Compared to the same month in 2019, this year’s volume was 13% higher.

♦ However, cumulative sales after 7 months of 232,245 units are 33% lower than for the same period in 2019 which was 347,171 units.

♦ To achieve the MAA’s 470,000-unit forecast for 2020, the industry must sell an average of 47,551 units, or a total of 237,755 units, in the remaining 5 months.

♦ Production also rose as plants shifted into higher gear and compared to the same month in 2019, the total output was only 3% lower. Cumulative production is, however, 36% lower than for the same period last year.