First-half 2013 figure seen to surpass that of the same period last year

PETALING JAYA: Vehicle sales in the first six months of 2013 should surpass the sales achieved in the first half of last year, despite initial hesitation by customers adopting a “wait-and-see” attitude leading up to the 13th general election (GE13).

“First-half 2013 total industry volume (TIV) should easily surpass the previous corresponding period’s 301,269 units. Our channel checks reveal that auto sales in May are already beginning to show a recovery after a slower April caused by potential buyers hesitating ahead of the GE13,” said RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd analyst Alexander Chia.