daniel chigunweJune saw South African new vehicle sales plunge by 14 percent versus the same month last year, to settle at 40 072 units, according to Naamsa — The Automotive Business Council.
According to the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), the delayed announcement of the government of national unity’s cabinet had an impact on local business and consumer confidence, with many delaying big-ticket purchases such as vehicles.
However, NADA’s chairperson, Brandon Cohen welcomed the historic government of national unity (GNU), stating that “this approach to governance will hopefully bring much-needed stability to the country”.
Naamsa expressed optimism that economic conditions will improve in the second half of this year, as the markets appear to have responded positively to the new cabinet announcements.
The association said the continued absence of load shedding, lower fuel prices and likely interest rate cuts later in the year would see economic prospects steadily improving.
Nonetheless, June was a bleak month for new vehicle sales, where light commercial vehicle sales took the biggest knock, declining by 24,3 percent versus the same month last year, to total just 10 552 units. Passenger cars got off more lightly with a 9 percent decline to 29 599 unit sales last month.
Predictably, Toyota topped the manufacturer charts, albeit falling beneath the 10,000 mark with 9 743 sales, while Volkswagen took second place with 5 514 units, extending its lead over third-placed Suzuki which managed 4,297 units last month after overtaking its German rival earlier in the year.
Top 10 manufacturers: June 2024
1. Toyota — 9 743
2. Volkswagen — 5 514
3. Suzuki Auto — 4 297
4. Ford Motor Co — 2 404
5. Hyundai Automotive — 2 367
6. Isuzu Motors — 2 157
7. Nissan — 1 905
8. Chery Auto — 1 653
9. GWM — 1 307
10. BMW Group — 1 104
Looking at the specific models, the Toyota Hilux led with 2 435 sales, a slight improvement on its May performance of 2 367. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo, in second place, made significant gains, rising from 1 817 units last month to 2 325 in June.
In the bakkie wars, the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max took the podium with 1 868 and 1 794 respective sales, while the Toyota Corolla Cross was next best on the passenger car front, with 1 578. And if you’ve been ignoring the Chinese charge until now, consider that the Chery Tiggo 4 achieved its best-ever month, ranking third among passenger cars with a volume of 1 172 in June.
Another surprise on the SUV front was the new Toyota Prado, which shot up to 15th place with 694 units, a massive jump over its usual sales performance of around 100. However pent-up demand is likely at play for this R1,2 million SUV.
Top 50 vehicle sales: June 2024
1. Toyota Hilux — 2 435
2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo — 2 325
3. Ford Ranger — 1 868
4. Isuzu D-Max — 1 794
5. Toyota Corolla Cross — 1 578
6. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro — 1 172
7. Toyota Starlet — 1 171
8. Suzuki Swift — 1 073
9. Toyota Fortuner — 972
10. Hyundai Grand i10 — 948
11. Nissan Magnite — 902
12. Volkswagen Polo — 902
13. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up — 829
14. Haval Jolion — 736
15. Toyota Prado — 694
16. Suzuki Fronx — 620
17. Kia Sonet — 561
18. Toyota Vitz — 542
19. Hyundai i20 — 529
20. Nissan Navara — 505
21. Nissan NP200 — 476
22. Suzuki Baleno — 468
22. Suzuki Baleno — 468
23. Suzuki Ertiga — 458
24. Volkswagen Polo Sedan — 391
25. Toyota Hi-Ace — 381
26. Toyota Urban Cruiser — 375
27. Chery Tiggo 7 Pro — 352
28. Volkswagen T-Cross — 349
29. Renault Kiger — 348
30. Volkswagen Amarok — 334
31. Toyota Rumion — 330
32. Suzuki S-Presso — 326
33. Suzuki Jimny — 324
34. Renault Triber — 323
35. Toyota Corolla Quest — 311
36. Hyundai Venue — 301
37. Toyota Land Cruiser PU — 258
38. Haval H6 — 252
39. Suzuki Eeco — 250
40. Suzuki Grand Vitara — 244
41. Ford Territory — 231
42. Renault Kwid — 225
43. Hyundai H100 Bakkie — 211
44. BMW X1 — 208
45. BMW X3 — 203
46. Ford Everest — 175
47. Citroen C3 — 164
48. BMW 2 Series — 162
49. GWM P-Series — 162
50. Suzuki Dzire — 153. — IOL Motoring
Bongani Ndlovu