Car sales grow 16.5 pct in Feb.

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Car sales went up by 16. 5 percent on year to a record 16,828 units in February, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) said today.

On a monthly basis, CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez said car sales last month were also higher by 7.6 percent compared to the 15,642 units sold in January.

"With fewer calendar days for February, the industry is surprised to see sales reaching a level normally achieved during the peak month of December. If this trend continues, the industry might even revise its forecast earlier than expected," said Gutierrez in a statement.

In February, sales of passenger cars climbed by 21.7 percent on year to 5,620 units while commercial vehicle sales grew by 14.1 percent on year to 11,208 units.

Japanese car maker Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. led the industry with a 41-percent market share last month, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 26.2 percent, and Ford Motor Co. Phils., Inc. with a 7.59-percent share.

Year to date sales of cars in the Philippines reached 32,470 units, 21.4 percent higher than the 26,742 units sold in the first two months of 2013.