For the non-gen-Z members of the Top Gear Philippines team, the year 2000 doesn’t sound that long ago. But then our aching backs, receding hairlines, and vitamins and supplements reminded us that 25 years have passed since the new millennium.
While wondering where the time had gone, we were curious what the best-selling cars in country were at the time. We eventually stumbled upon a story from the Philippine Daily Inquirer dated January 18, 2001. There, it listed down the top-selling cars from 2000, and let’s just say it was a sweet little throwback to the days of the Nokia 3310 and dial-up internet.
So, for those who were around at the time, here’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane. And for those born after 2000, consider this as a quick lesson in Philippine automotive history.
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1) Toyota Tamaraw FX Revo: 11,818 units
Kids, before the Innova, there was the Revo. It was the last model to wear the Tamaraw badge until its recent revival and was the quintessential Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV). Unlike its predecessor, the Tamaraw FX, the Revo only came in one body style but had a wider range of variants and engine choices. There was the DLX for fleets and businesses, while the LXV and SR (and later VX models) catering to the premium market.
These AUVs were so popular to a point that if you didn’t have one in your garage, chances are you have a close relative who did. It was also a popular choice for ‘Mega Taxi’ (remember those?) and garage service fleets, meaning just about everyone in the country rode a Revo at some point.
2) Mitsubishi Adventure: 6,824 units
The Revo might have been the best-seller, but it was the Adventure that ushered in a new era of AUVs. It was launched during the time where AUVs were purely on the utilitarian side, but Mitsubishi showed the market that these vehicles don’t have to be basic. Its mini-Pajero looks and (somewhat) car-like interior boosted its appeal, and Mitsubishi’s pricing policy of generous discounts made it a solid buy. Sure, it was a distant second to the Revo, but there’s no denying its popularity.
3) Honda Civic: 5,456 units
What’s this? A compact sedan in the top ten list? Next to AUVs, the compact sedan was the most popular vehicle type in the country. Through the ‘90s and into the new millennium, it was always a close fight between Civic and Corolla. In 2000, it was Honda that held the sales crown, quite a feat given the company’s ‘bawal pang-taxi rule’ that’s still in place today.
Well, it also helped that the sixth-generation Civic was a great sedan through and through. By this time, it had been facelifted, further improving an already strong and competitive package. 2000 was also the swan song for the sixth-gen Civic as the seventh-gen would be introduced in 2001…and we all know how that went.
4) Toyota Corolla: 5,349 units
There was certainly no shortage of sedans in the top ten list back in the day. Although the Civic took the title of best-selling sedan in the country, the Corolla wasn’t that far behind. The Corolla ‘Love Life’ was just hitting its stride by 2000 after it was launched right in the middle of the Asian Economic Crisis.
While not as popular as its predecessor, the ‘Big Body’, this generation of Corolla still has its fans. The 2000 model year later introduced a name that would soon be familiar to us all, the Altis. The all-new model, now dubbed Corolla Altis, arrived in 2001 and yanked the sales crown from Honda in a big way.
5) Nissan Sentra/Exalta: 4,853 units
By 2000, the Sentra Series III wasn’t exactly a young model anymore. It was released in late 1995 and in dire need of a refresh. The result was the Exalta, turning the humble Sentra into a mini-Cefiro. It looked classy from the outside and had an interior that wouldn’t look out of place in an executive sedan.
Let’s not forget the novel niceties that came standard in the top-spec STA, either. There was the hands-free phone device, automatic climate control, 12-disc CD changer, rear sunshades, and a sunroof. It was a time of interesting extremes in the compact sedan class. Whereas the Civic SiR was focused on sport, the Sentra Exalta put comfort above everything else.
6) Isuzu Hi-Lander: 4,303 units
And we’re back to AUVs. In this case, it’s the Isuzu Hi-Lander. Compared to the Adventure and Revo, it was more on the utilitarian side. Still, Isuzu’s well-deserved reputation for reliability and dependability for diesel engines helped the Hi-Lander to a strong sales run throughout its production cycle. 2000 was the last model year for it, and it would eventually be replaced by a massively more popular (and longer running) model, the Crosswind.
7) Honda City: 3,391 units
Oh look, a second Honda in the top ten list. What’s even more surprising is that this won’t be the last. The City was perfect for those who wanted a taste of what the Honda life would be like without breaking the bank. It was one of the first subcompact sedans to offer an automatic transmission, for instance, and the 1.5-liter VTEC option made the top of the line variant a bit of a junior SiR. During this time, it was a mix of the pre-facelift and Type Z models, the latter further boosting the small sedan’s popularity.
8) Toyota Hiace: 3,076 units
AUVs can carry 10 passengers, albeit with a bit of a squeeze. If that wasn’t enough, there’s always the good ol’ van. The de facto king of the segment was the Hiace with the Mitsubishi Space Gear and Nissan Urvan far in its rear-view mirror. The status quo hasn’t changed much since as it still remains the top-selling midsize people carrier in the country.
9) Honda CR-V: 2,894 units
As one of the pioneers of the crossover class, it was no surprise that the Honda CR-V broke through the top ten list in 2000. For starters, it was an SUV for less than the price of an executive sedan. For a little over a million pesos, you had a 2.0-liter engine, all-wheel drive, loads of space, and who can forget the split tailgate and built-in table? It might not have been the first of its kind in the world, but it certainly was in the Philippines.
10) Nissan Frontier: 2,326 units
If you always thought the Toyota Hilux was the king of pickup sales in the land, you’d be very much mistaken. 25 years ago, it was the Nissan Frontier. Released locally in 1999, it was one of the coolest-looking pickups on the block with its sharp styling, relatively good ride, and of course, that signature cool air-conditioning Nissan was always known for.
It wasn’t the punchiest pickup around, but it became quite the sensation when it was new. This model had such a long shelf life that it actually outlasted its successor and overlapped with first-generation Navara.
Best-selling cars: Then and now
These days, the top ten best-sellers are a little more predictable. 25 years ago, there were five different brands there. Nowadays, it’s pretty much a fight between Toyota and Mitsubishi with the prior taking a lion’s share of the local market.
Most of the names present in the list have either evolved or are no longer around. The Revo became the Innova, while the Adventure and Crosswind are no more with no successors in sight.
The Corolla Altis is still hanging in there, while the Sentra became the Sylphy and eventually, discontinued. Isuzu would replace the Fuego with the D-Max, a nameplate that’s still going strong to this day. Only Honda has kept the names of their significant models over the decades.
Honda products are nowhere near the top-ten best-sellers, and the same goes with Nissan and Isuzu. And while the sedan remains the top-selling body style in the country thanks to the Vios, the rest are a mix of MPVs and SUVs with a pickup (Toyota Hilux), a van (Toyota Hilux), and a hatchback (Toyota Wigo) thrown in.
MPVs were largely a novelty in 2000 but the norm today. Also, the Revo wouldn’t even make it in the top ten of 2023 if it were still sold today at the same rate. If anything, the sales figures from 25 years ago are minuscule compared to today. For reference, 83,887 new cars found buyers in 2000. In 2023, that figure has ballooned to over 440,000 units.
But perhaps the most remarkable of all is this: Nine out of the ten best-sellers of 2000 were assembled in the Philippines. Out of all the models there, only the Hiace was made abroad (Japan). It sounds unimaginable for the younger audiences, but there were a lot more cars manufactured locally back in the day, although that’s a topic for another day.
