Mitsubishi Fuso Achieves Strong Global Sales
of 197,700 Units in 2008

Kawasaki – Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, announced it achieved total global sales (Japan and international markets) of 197,724 units in 2008. This represented a 4.8% increase over 2007’s total of 188,719 units.

International Sales

The strong sales performance was driven by record international sales. Sales outside Japan reached 155,698 units in 2008, a 15.6% increase over 2007, which was the previous record year with sales of 134,745 units.

Key factors in MFTBC’s international sales growth in 2008 were significant sales increases in the company’s main export markets.

In Southeast Asia, sales increased 41.5% to 56,058 units (2007 = 39,628 units). In Indonesia, the company’s largest export market, sales were up 57.8% to 46,968 units (2007 = 29,755 units).

In the Middle East, sales increased 8.8% to 34,675 units (2007 = 31,869 units).

Significant sales growth was also achieved in other major markets worldwide, including in Africa (+15.6%), Europe including Turkey (+9.6%) and Latin America (+21.8%).

Helping to fuel international sales in 2008 were a number of new product introductions in existing export markets. Last year, Mitsubishi Fuso also entered new markets including Angola, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Japan Market

The strong international sales helped off-set the declining Japan market.

Mitsubishi Fuso’s sales in its home market of Japan continued to be affected by difficult market conditions impacting all domestic commercial vehicle manufacturers. For the full-year 2008, MFTBC’s Japan sales decreased 22.1% to 42,026 units (2007 = 53,974 units).

MFTBC’s total sales of 197,724 units represented the highest sales result since the company was fully consolidated into the Daimler Group in 2004

Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. In 2008, the company sold a total of about 197,700 vehicles including light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Daimler AG owns 85% of MFTBC shares. The remaining 15% of shares are held by various Mitsubishi group companies. MFTBC is an integral part of the Daimler Trucks Division of Daimler AG.