The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

New Car Sales Summary for April 2017

The South African new vehicle sales data for April 2017 has been released: It's not a great time to be a new car salesman with the market showing a severe decline, both in sales and export data.

New vehicle sales for the month of April declined some 13.4% from the same period last year. Exports also decreased by 25.5% over the equivalent period during 2016. Most of the export drop can be attributed to the public holidays that occurred in April, where in 2016, most of the public holidays were in March.

All of the new vehicle sectors showed double-digit declines with passenger cars being the worst hit at 13.7% worse off than April 2016. Other factors that contributed to the decline include local business sentiment, political instability and the recently acquired junk status.

In terms of SA's top selling models, the Ford Ranger pipped the Toyota Hilux to the top spot on the sales chart. The evergreen VW Polo Vivo and Polo models showed good numbers again wrapping up third and fourth spot respectively.

New car sales summary for April 2017
Aggregate new car sales of 34 956 down by 13.4% (-5 392 units) compared with April 2016

New passenger vehicle sales of 22 452 down by 13.7% (-3 560 units) compared to April 2016

Light commercial vehicle sales of 10 592 down by 13.3% (-1 625 units) compared to April 2016

Export sales of 24 449 down by 25.5% (+8 383 units) compared to April 2016

New car sales outlook
At the beginning of the year, the new car sales outlook appeared positive, 4 months down the line things are vastly different. Naamsa reports that the balance of this year now appears negative for sales growth. Naamsa puts this down to extra-ordinary political events at the end of March 2017.

"Naamsa anticipated that greater clarity would be forthcoming over the next two to three months regarding the impact of socio-political events on the direction of the economy and this would enable then the Association to resume projections on new vehicle sales."

It does however, expect exports to remain positive as global growth continues. "Indications for the global economy were reasonably positive with the latest IMF projections anticipating global growth at around 3.6%. This would benefit vehicle exports to Europe, Australasia, Asia, the United States and South America. NAAMSA anticipated that export sales would register upward momentum over the balance of 2017 thereby continuing to contribute positively to South Africa’s trade balance."

http://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/new-car-sales-summary-for-april-2017/43325/#.WQnBgFV95hE
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
It's a protected industry, we get to pay increased prices despite our tax money supporting the industry's development in the first place. Either take away the training wheels (scrap APDP entirely, right away) and let the market determine the price when cheap direct imports are no longer taxed to death.

or

Cry me a river when sales slump, consumers have been fleeced for decades, don't expect any sympathy from them when the going gets tough.
Click to expand...

^ this

Why is it a protected industry anyway? :erm:
 
kripstoe said:
Suffer? Potentially cutting thousands of jobs. Suppliers losing business. Suffering there will be, but it will be everybody (including you and me), not just car company x. That's how an economy works.
Click to expand...
They should get real jobs.
 
I looked at the Honda sales and I'm very surprised that no CR-Vs were sold.
 
Poor Fusion


SA’s 13 worst-selling cars (under R500k) of April 2017

The monthly Naamsa stats generally make for rather interesting reading. But, naturally, we tend to focus on the best-performing vehicles in terms of sales.

Indeed, we’ve already reported the 10 best-selling passenger cars of April 2017, as well as listing the 10 best-selling bakkies in our market for the same period.

But now we’ve decided to take a look at the worst-selling passenger car models on our shores. Of course, we must bear in mind that certain importers – such as Hyundai and Kia – do not submit individual model sales figures, instead only disclosing aggregate sales stats. Mercedes-Benz, too, has taken a similar stance in recent times, while BMW SA also recently joined the non-reporting party.

Also, take note that – in order to make this list more relevant – we’ve excluded vehicle ranges that start at more than R500 000. Otherwise, this table would be dominated by luxury manufacturers such as Bentley, Ferrari and Maserati, whose high-priced vehicles traditionally sell in tiny numbers. We also don’t count sales from run-out stock of vehicles that have been discontinued locally, such as the Citroën C4 Cactus (1) and soon-to-be-replaced Peugeot 3008 (2) that appeared in the latest stats.

So, what happened in April 2017?

Well, Ford managed to sell just a single unit each of the Fusion and Tourneo Connect, while the Infiniti Q50 again found itself on this list, with just a solitary sale. The Volkswagen Scirocco and Abarth 595 ranges each managed to sell just two units, while the Landwind X5 could muster just three.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Volvo V60 each registered four units, while the Mahindra Xylo, Tata Vista and the recently facelifted Toyota 86 managed five apiece. Finally, the Mitsubishi Mirage and Volkswagen Golf SV could each add just six units.

For reference, see March’s list here.

South Africa’s 13 worst-selling passenger cars (under R500k) of April 2017:

Ford Fusion – 1
Ford Tourneo Connect – 1
Infiniti Q50 – 1
Volkswagen Scirocco – 2
Abarth 595 – 2
Landwind X5 – 3
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 4
Volvo V60 – 4
Mahindra Xylo – 5
Tata Vista – 5
Toyota 86 – 5
Mitsubishi Mirage – 6
Volkswagen Golf SV – 6

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/sas-13-worst-selling-cars-under-r500k-of-april-2017/
 
Sports cars April 2017: Mustang carries segment through the trenches

Usually a top-seller in the segment for new sports cars, the Ford Mustang laboured to selling 41 units in April 2017.

Though it ended the month as South Africa's best-selling sports car, the figures are bleak in comparison to what the pony car achieved since coming to market in December 2015.

Porsche and co.

German automaker Porsche had an 'okay-month' in which it sold 24 units of the 911 and 18 units of the 718 Cayman/Boxsters. These two vehicles were, respectively, the second and third best-selling vehicles for April. The Mustang and the two Porsche's were the only sports cars to have double digit sale figures.

The Jaguar F-Type found nine new owners in fourth place, followed by the Ferrari 488 Spider in fifth and Audi R8 in sixth place - both sold three units.

Nissan's GT-R found two new owners, followed by the 488 Spider's hardtop sibling, the 488 GTB, in eighth place (one unit) and the Ferrari California in ninth - also one new owner.

Commenting on the month's sales figures Naamsa (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA) said: "Following the modest improvement in new vehicle sales experienced during the first three months of 2017, the outlook for the balance of the year had turned negative on the back of the extra-ordinary political events at the end of March 2017 and early April 2017.

"Political and social polarisation in SA - together with prospects of lower domestic growth over the short to medium term - continued to weigh on business confidence and consumer sentiment. Domestic new vehicle sales were closely correlated with the overall performance of South Africa’s economy and confidence levels."

Naamsa says it anticipated that greater clarity would be forthcoming over the next two to three months regarding the impact of socio-political events on the direction of the economy and this would enable then the Association to resume projections on new vehicle sales. At this stage, the risk for new vehicle sales was on the downside.

http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_v...carries-segment-through-the-trenches-20170502
 
Well done Suzuki SA!



Suzuki SA's value beats the market as year-to-date sales increase

News of a downturn in the new vehicle market has not reached Suzuki South Africa’s national head office in Gauteng, where the company is celebrating a stellar 19.7% year-to-date increase in sales, claims the automaker.

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), Suzuki has welcomed 2 275 new owners to the fold since the start of the year. This represents a sales-increase of 19.7% over the same period last year, compared to a general market decline of 2.2% for the industry.

Suzuki SA says: “We are delighted with our sales performance over the past four months.

“In a tough trading environment, customers look for the best value in the market, and we believe that our product line-up, combined with the service offering by our national dealer network, delivers just that.”

Suzuki’s growing popularity among private and fleet buyers was recognised earlier this year, when it won the WesBank / Cars.co.za brand of the year award. This award is decided solely on the feedback from owners, who are polled in a nationwide Cars.co.za poll. Suzuki beat five other popular brands to the top spot as South Africa’s favourite brand.

In the same Awards, the panel of judges chose the Suzuki Vitara and Suzuki Celerio as their top picks in the compact family car and budget car categories respectively. In awarding these prizes, the judges picked their own favourites and compared them to feedback from thousands of owners collected in a comprehensive survey.

The Celerio was also singled out by CAR Magazine at their annual Top 12 Best Buys Awards, where it beat two other finalists for the hotly contested title as South Africa’s best budget car. Both industry awards identified the Celerio as the best all-round offering for buyers on a tight budget.

Suzuki claims that models such as the Celerio, Vitara, Swift and Jimny are firm favourites in the market, thanks to their combination of high specification levels and – on all but the entry-level Celerio GA – a standard service plan.

Suzuki added: “Whether you are looking for a sporty hatch, an affordable 4x4 or the best budget car money can buy, Suzuki has to be on your shopping list. This is especially true in tough times, where we all have to make every cent count.

“Suzuki is Japan’s favourite maker of compact cars and is growing its market share in many countries across the world. The entire range offers great value, good safety features and is well known as reliable, easy-to-repair vehicles."

http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_v...arket-as-year-to-date-sales-increase-20170504
 
Saw headlines about the Amarok V6 TDI today.
Then I saw the price


R750k for a ****ing double-cab.

yoh.
 
I know why ford fusions aren't selling its rather obvious.
Starting from R419900(for the1.5)-R553900.

Lol the pricing is wrong the fusion has nowhere near the same reputation as a 3serries c-class or an A4
 
FiestaST said:
Poor Fusion


SA’s 13 worst-selling cars (under R500k) of April 2017


South Africa’s 13 worst-selling passenger cars (under R500k) of April 2017:

Ford Fusion – 1
Ford Tourneo Connect – 1
Infiniti Q50 – 1
Volkswagen Scirocco – 2
Abarth 595 – 2
Landwind X5 – 3
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 4
Volvo V60 – 4
Mahindra Xylo – 5
Tata Vista – 5
Toyota 86 – 5
Mitsubishi Mirage – 6
Volkswagen Golf SV – 6

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/sas-13-worst-selling-cars-under-r500k-of-april-2017/
Click to expand...

As mentioned in another topic:
Honda CR-V = 0
 
rietrot said:
I know why ford fusions aren't selling its rather obvious.
Starting from R419900(for the1.5)-R553900.

Lol the pricing is wrong the fusion has nowhere near the same reputation as a 3serries c-class or an A4
Click to expand...

Spec on a Fusion is massively superior to the German's but as you say, badge appeal is nowhere near as strong...
 
Latest UK figures for comparison...

UK car sales plummet 20% due to VED rises

New car sales in the UK plummeted 20% in April, largely due to the rise in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates, according to industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).

Registrations fell by 19.8% to 152,076 in April, compared with 189,505 cars sold in April 2016.

It was also the first month in 47 in which there was a downturn in demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs), which is also attributed to the higher VED rates affecting hybrid models.

Private buyers and business demand were also down, falling by 28.4% and 21% respectively. Meanwhile, petrol demand dropped by 13.1%, but the most notable drop was diesel which fell by 27.3%. However, despite sales falling, the market share for diesel rose versus April. In March, diesel accounted for 43.4% of sales and in April, 44.9%.

However, the market is up 1.1% year-to-date with a record 972,092 cars registered in the first four months.

The news comes after a bumper March for car sales, thanks to the number plate change and the public’s desire to avoid the VED rises that came into force on 1 April.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “With the rush to register new cars and avoid VED tax rises before the end of March, as well as fewer selling days due to the later Easter, April was always going to be much slower.

"It’s important to note that the market remains at record levels as customers still see many benefits in purchasing a new car. We therefore expect demand to stabilise over the year as the turbulence created by these tax changes decreases.”

Talking about the tax rises, Hawes told Autocar: "We never like regulatory changes, but they do come from time to time. They always disrupt the market and present business with some challenges".

Regarding the diesel dip, Hawes said: "Market share [of diesel] is generally declining. There is a shift to alternatively fuelled AFVs, driven by fuel economy. Diesel offers good fuel economy but electric vehicls are even better." He added that another factor was "uncertainty around the clean air zones" in the UK, with more details to be announced tomorrow.

He anticipates that May will be "a bit stronger" for sales, but the SMMT's forecast for the year - a 5% drop in car registrations - remains.

The Ford Fiesta continues to be the best-selling model in the UK with 4957 cars sold. The Nissan Qashqai and Mercedes-Benz C-Class came second and third, selling 4430 and 3777 models respectively.

The market for premium hatchbacks was particularly strong, with the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class among the best-sellers of the month. The A-Class even outsold the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf, selling 3608 units in April.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/uk-car-sales-plummet-20-due-ved-rises
 
Top 10 best-selling cars in Britain

Established brands and models dominate the top 10 list of best-selling cars in the UK and the hatchback rules supreme. However, the latest sales figures show that some newer additions to Britain’s roads are growing in popularity, perhaps foreshadowing a change in preferences among buyers.

The latest figures cover the year to the end of February and show that superminis and hatchbacks are the most popular. The Ford Fiesta continues to fly out of dealerships, with the Vauxhall Corsa is chasing hard but some way behind in overall sales. The Focus is still attracting plenty of fans; even more than the Volkswagen Golf, which is now fifth overall despite VW’s recent tribulations.

Nissan’s Qashqai and Juke shows the continuing popularity of small SUV, meanwhile, the Audi A3 has been knocked out of the top 10 by the Mini.

The Vauxhall Astra continues to sell well and is chasing the Focus, while the Volkswagen Polo shows that there are plenty of buyers willing to pay extra for a more classy supermini.

1: Ford Fiesta – 43,162 registrations

The Fiesta has been a British favourite for decades and that shows no signs of changing, even though the latest incarnation is now eight years old. Its sales figures are well ahead of its closest rivals', even though it’s not the cheapest choice in the segment. Its sales performance is well deserved, though. The Ford supermini as hugely impressive, our four-star review proves that. We particularly like its ride and handling, interior quality and smooth engine range.

2: Ford Focus – 27,307 registrations

The Focus has delivered an outstanding drive since it replaced the Escort with aplomb in 1998, offering impressive road manners at a volume price. It has been so good, in fact, that we were slightly disappointed by the diluted dynamics of the latest version. However, as our review notes, it’s still a very appealing, complete car. It looks good, has a strong, economical engine range and offers a lot of quality for its price.

3: Vauxhall Corsa – 23,765 registrations

The Corsa is another established doyen in the UK and Vauxhall’s perennial rival to the Fiesta. The latest generation arrived in 2014 and offers something for most people, from the 74bhp 1.4-litre petrol option to the 202bhp snorting VXR version. It’s competitively priced, drives and rides well and is designed and specced to please the car's large fan base. It’s hard to see it dropping far down this list anytime soon.

4: Nissan Qashqai – 23,501 registrations

Is it really a decade since Nissan’s now ubiquitous crossover first arrived? Its blend of hatchback size and SUV pretensions have proved a huge draw for customers and it’s now the best-selling small SUV in the country, leaving a trail of imitators in its wake. The second-generation model, released in 2014, keeps dynamic, economic and interior standards high, garnering a 4.5-star review from our road test team. No wonder it’s holding firm in the sales charts.

5: Volkswagen Golf – 22,446 registrations

The Golf is another classic name in motoring that attracts legions of diehard fans to keep it riding high in the charts, even with Volkswagen’s recent scandal. Emissions concerns aside, the seventh-generation Golf, including newly introduced facelifted version, is a consummate all-rounder. In our 4.5-star review, we called it the best hatchback in the world, and we’ll stand by that assessment.

6: Vauxhall Astra - 21,261 registrations

The Astra is something of an also-ran to the Ford Focus, but the latest generation, launched in 2015, is a thoroughly decent car in its own right. Well equipped with sharp handling and economical engines, it earns a strong four-star review from us, although we had reservations about its ride and styling. Overall, though, it deserves to be considered as one of the best compact hatches you can buy.

7: Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 19,238 registrations

It’s unusual for a premium car to find itself in the top 10, but it’s testament to the C-Class’s appeal, particularly among fleet customers, that it’s shifting so many units for Mercedes. Looking like a miniature S-Class doesn’t hurt the latest version, which was launched in 2014. It’s an excellent offering that garnered a four-star review from our test team, who fell for its high-quality interior and alluring looks. Good residual values do it no harm, either.

8: Volkswagen Polo - 18,253 registrations

Volkswagen’s supermini offers a touch more class and sophistication than the Fiesta and Corsa, albeit at a higher price. It’s more mature and conservative in its demeanour, but many of the British car-buying public embrace such traits, which is why the Polo is a top 10 stalwart and scores four stars in our review. Now in its fifth generation, it could easily be mistaken for a smaller Golf, which is no bad thing.

9: Mercedes-Benz A-Class - 15,855 registrations

Mercedes' smallest model takes ninth place from Mini, and knocks the Nissan Juke out of the top ten in an increasingly premium-segment list. It's tight, though, as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series were both among the best-sellers of April 2017, but didn't sell enough to nab a top ten place across the year.

10: Mini - 15,417 registrations

The Mini has dropped into tenth place after the A-Class stormed into ninth. It's a top-ten regular though; and who can blame buyers either? Charming looks, sharp handling and BMW quality are just three of its strong points, but now there's also a five-door variant for added practicality.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/top-10-best-selling-cars-britain
 
FiestaST said:
1: Ford Fiesta – 43,162 registrations
Click to expand...

I wonder if we will see Fiesta give Polo a better challenge when it and the new Polo start selling locally. Could we be in for Ranger versus Hilux v2.0?
 
HERE’S HOW MANY CARS FERRARI SOLD IN Q1 2017

Wondering how Ferrari is doing so far this year? Well, it seems the Italian brand is in rude health, with its net revenue for the first quarter of 2017 coming in at a whopping €821-million (about R12,3-billion).

This figure represents an increase of €146-million (or some 21,5%) when compared to the same period in 2016, and comes largely thanks to what the brand simply calls “higher volumes”. So, exactly how high?

Well, Ferrari says shipments totalled 2 003 units in the first quarter of 2017, up 121 units (or 6,4%) year-on-year. This growth was driven by a 50% increase in sales of V12 models, with V8 derivatives posting a 3% decrease. The strong V12 performance was led by the GTC4Lusso, LaFerrari Aperta and F12tdf.

According to the brand, all regions “contributed positively”. EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) expanded by 8,8%, with Germany, France, Italy and United Kingdom growing at double-digit pace. The Americas were up 4,2%, the Rest of APAC (Asia Pacific) up 4,0% and China, Hong Kong and Taiwan combined grew by 3,2%.

Ferrari says it aims to ship 8 400 units in 2017.

A quick glance at the Naamsa statistics for the first three months of 2017 (and a spot of maths) reveals that Ferrari registered 21 units in South Africa in this time, including nine California models, eight 488 Spider units and four 488 GTB derivatives.

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/heres-how-many-cars-ferrari-sold-in-q1-2017/
 
FlashSA said:
I wonder if we will see Fiesta give Polo a better challenge when it and the new Polo start selling locally. Could we be in for Ranger versus Hilux v2.0?
Click to expand...

I can't see why not. Although it will have to be really good. When my wife for example test drove the current fiesta, she like the looks, but only only few kilometers into the test drive she decided she can't live with the cars suspension. Very harsh and bumpy. If the new car improves on that I'm sure it will give the Polo a good run for it's money.
 
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