The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

FiestaST said:
SA car sales: New Polo, Polo Vivo take charge

Volkswagen's new Polo and Polo Vivo lead local sales in February, reports Naamsa. We list the best-selling cars in South Africa.

The automotive giant launched all-new generations of its month popular vehicles earlier in 2018.

The bigger, and more premium, the new Polo topped the sales chart with a staggering figure of 2847 units, making it the second-best selling vehicle for the month of February behind the Toyota Hilux (3369 units).

The new Polo Vivo, now in its second generation, ended the month with 2044 units.

David beats Goliath

Taking its customary position behind the two leaders is the Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest with 1302 units. In fourth place, and making quite a jump up the order, is the new Hyundai Grand i10, launched in February 2018. The Korean hatchback found favour among 1008 buyers, narrowly beating another regular top five contender, the Toyota Fortuner (1006 units).

The Toyota Etios missed out on the 1000-mark with 990 units sold but is still someway clear of seventh placed Ford EcoSport (814 units). Another Ford, the Figo, slips into eighth place with 775 units, ahead of the Kia Picanto (686 units) and Datsun Go (591 units) in tenth.

http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_v...lo-polo-vivo-take-charge-in-february-20180302

View attachment 503563
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I sat in a new polo this morning when dropping my so's car for it's service, while the outside looks dreary, the interior is a big step up in terms of quality and feel. So this sales success is understandable.
 
New Car Sales in SA for February 2018

February 2018 was another tough month for new car sales in South Africa with year-on-year declines recorded across all market segments according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA).

New car sales in South Africa remain under pressure as evidenced in the 3.8% year-on-year decline of aggregate domestic sales of 46 347 in February 2018. A decline of 30% in the rental channel and a 42% decline in the government channel had a significant effect on overall performance over the period. Dealer channel sales, however, grew by 2.9% and accounted for 79% of total sales.

“The year-on-year decline in rental channel sales is mainly attributed to re-fleeting activity normalising, following a spike in buying activity at the start of last year. While this has had a negative impact on the overall market, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Sentiment among dealers and consumers is positive, and new vehicle price inflation has continued to slow as the Rand has recovered” said Rudolf Mahoney, Head of Brand and Communications at WesBank.

Demand for new cars is on the up with WesBank recording a demand increase of 11.6%, while the demand for used cars has increased by 6.5%, indicating that consumer demand is shifting back to the new car market.

Sales Summary – February 2018

Aggregate new car sales of 46 347 units down by 3.8% (-1 854 units) compared to February 2017.

New passenger cars sales of 31 200 units down by 0.4% (-123 units) compared to February 2017.

LCV sales of 13 212 units down by 9.6% (-1 410 units) compared to February 2017.

Exports sales of 27 437 down by 5.8% (-1 681 units) compared to February 2017.

Top 5 Car Brands in SA

Toyota - 10 264 units with 22.1% market share

Volkswagen - 7 519 units with 16.2% market share

Ford - 5 654 units with 12.2% market share

Nissan - 4 779 units with 10.3% market share

Hyundai - 3 197 units with 6.9% market share

Top 5 best-selling cars in SA

Toyota Hilux - 3 369 units

VW Polo - 2 847 units

Ford Ranger - 2 253 units

VW Polo Vivo - 2 044 units

Nissan NP200 - 1 690 units

Sales Outlook

The midterm economic outlook is largely positive. The stronger Rand will reduce inflationary pressures while positive recent political events and improved business confidence is expected to support higher economic growth provided that further credit downgrades are avoided come April 2018. If all goes well, economic growth could exceed 1.5% in 2018.

However, recent increases in VAT, vehicle emissions taxes, higher ad valorem duty for premium vehicles and fuel levy hikes will impact negatively on consumers’ disposable income as well as new car sales as of April 2018 onwards.

Exports are expected to strengthen with an increase of 10% being a possibility for 2018.

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/new-car-sales-in-sa-for-february-2018/44697/
 
SA’s 14 Worst-Selling Cars (Under R500k) Of Feb 2018

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 February 2018, as well as listed 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. Thankfully, Hyundai, Kia and BMW have started reporting their individual model sales figures again, which certainly helps to paint a more accurate monthly picture. But, of course, some other automakers (such as Mercedes-Benz) still disclose only aggregate sales statistics.

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.

In addition, we don’t count sales from run-out stock of vehicles that have been discontinued locally. And we’ve also heeded the call to include model ranges that failed to sell a single unit.

So, what happened during the month of February? Well, not a single Renault Kadjar, Tata Manza or Toyota Prius was sold, while Fiat could register only one Panda. The Abarth 595 line-up managed two sales, matched by the Renault Mégane, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Tata Indica.

Three examples of the Mahindra Xylo were registered, along with five units of the Tata Vista. Lastly, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Kia Sorento and Mini Convertible managed just six units apiece.

For reference, see January’s list here.

SA’s 11 worst-selling passenger cars (under R500k) of February 2018:

Renault Kadjar – 0
Tata Manza – 0
Toyota Prius – 0
Fiat Panda – 1
Abarth 595 – 2
Renault Mégane – 2
Subaru Impreza – 2
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 2
Tata Indica – 2
Mahindra Xylo – 3
Tata Vista – 5
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 6
Kia Sorento – 6
Mini Convertible – 6

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/sas-14-worst-selling-cars-under-r500k-of-feb-2018/
 
Sumen said:
I wonder what will happen to the Koleos since it's based on the X-Trail.

I just feel that Renault is using too much parts from Nissan in their SUV's they losing that frenchness, At least Megane is more Renault than Nissan
Click to expand...

It looks like this confirms that we wont be getting it here.
 
Minor growth predicted for SA new vehicle sales in 2018

South Africa’s new-vehicle industry is forecast to grow just under one percent in 2018, according to WesBank, the country’s leading vehicle finance provider.

WesBank CEO Chris de Kock delivered the bank’s view of the market and new-vehicle sales forecast at the 2018 SAGMJ Car of the Year banquet in Midrand on Tuesday evening, where he predicted sales of new cars, trucks and light commercial vehicles would end the year at 561 753 units.

There were 557 586 cars, light commercials and trucks sold in South Africa last year, a minor 1.8% increase over 2016 but the first year-on-year growth in four years. The growth was partly attributed to slowing inflation on the back of a stronger rand, as well as a strong contribution by the car rental sector.


“While the recent positive sentiments about South Africa’s economy will impact the automotive industry, this will take time to generate material growth," said De Kock.

"However, new-vehicle sales are expected to see moderate growth this year. The economic challenges faced in SA are structural in nature, and will take an extended period of time to correct. The positive sentiment brought about by the recent political changes is a good place to start and we are confident that this will lead to greater economic invest and improved growth prospects for the country.”

Dealer sales account for 80% of total sales in SA and are a key indicator of the total market outlook. WesBank expects a modest increase of 3% in the dealer segment, driven mainly by passenger cars sales. This growth will be influenced not only by the improved sentiment, but also a reduction in interest rates and a stronger rand that impacts positively on vehicle price inflation.

WesBank's prediction is less optimistic than that of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (NAAMSA) which recently said it expected this year's new-car market to improve by around 2% and the light commercial vehicle market by double that percentage.

De Kock said the rental market which accounts for 13% of total sales saw unusually high growth in 2017, which will be tough to match during the coming year.

"Additionally, the ongoing drought in the Western Cape continues to take a toll on the rental market’s growth prospects with the Western Cape province accounting for 40% of South Africa’s tourism rental market. In these challenging conditions, WesBank anticipates a 14.9% decline in rental sales this year," he concluded.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/minor-growth-predicted-for-sa-new-vehicle-sales-in-2018-13809190
 
Good news for SA car sales: ‘Highest monthly total’ yet in 2018 - Naamsa

New vehicle sales have improved in South Africa with 49 233 models sold, marking the "highest monthly total" yet in 2018, reports Naamsa.

Despite public holidays limiting sales days, Naamsa attributes higher local sales due to pre-emptive purchases ahead of the rise in VAT.

Naamsa said: "The proliferation of public holidays during the month, including the Easter recess, would have been a factor that impacted on domestic sales. This was offset to a large extent by pre-emptive buying by consumers to avoid the increase in value added tax, new vehicle emissions taxes and ad valorem duty changes announced in the budget."

New sales up, exports decline

Domestic new vehicle sales reached its highest total yet in 2018 with 49 233 units sold, an improvement of 535 units (+1.1%) compared to the 48 698 vehicles sold in March 2017.

In contrast, March 2018 export sales at 27 438 vehicles registered a decline of 2421 units (-8.1%) compared to the 29 859 vehicles exported in March last year.

Naamsa said: "The March, 2018 export number had been affected by the BMW switchover in production from the 3 Series to the X3."

Total market

Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 49 233 vehicles, an estimated 44 417 units or 90.2% represented dealer sales, an estimated 5.3% represented sales to the vehicle rental Industry, 2.7% to industry corporate fleets and 1.8% to government.

New car market

The new car market held up relatively well compared to the commercial vehicle segments; at 32 176 units registered an improvement of 1144 cars or 3.7% compared to the 31 032 new cars sold in March 2017. Naamsa said: “Due to seasonal factors, the car rental industry contribution had declined but still accounted for about 7% of new car sales in March 2018.”

Bakkie market

Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses are marginally weaker at 14 701 units during March 2018; a decline of 345 units (-2.3%) compared to the 15 046 LCVs sold during the corresponding month last year.

http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_v...est-monthly-total-yet-in-2018-naamsa-20180403
 
SOUTH AFRICA’S 10 BEST-SELLING BAKKIES OF MARCH 2018

The sales figures for March 2018 are in … and substantial 1 072 units separate the top two vehicles as the battle for the title of South Africa’s best-selling bakkie continues.

According to Naamsa, March’s new vehicle industry sales came in at 49 233 units, representing an increase of 535 vehicles or 1,1%, year on year. The light commercial segment, meanwhile, fell 2,3% to 14 701 units for the month.

So, exactly what happened in terms of bakkies sales in March 2018? Well, the Toyota Hilux retained top spot (after beating the Ford Ranger by a similarly impressive 1 116 units in February 2018), with the Ranger again having to settle for a distant second.

The Nissan NP200 held onto third, while the Isuzu KB and Nissan NP300 also managed to hold steady in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Nissan Navara, meanwhile, climbed four spots to sixth thanks to the recent expansion of the local range to include cheaper rear-wheel-drive derivatives.

The Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up fell one to seventh and the Mahindra Pik-Up one to eighth, while the Volkswagen Amarok held onto ninth. The GWM Steed dropped two places to cling to the final spot on the table.

That means there was no room for the Mazda BT-50 (98), Mahindra Bolero (82), Mitsubishi Triton (44) or Fiat Fullback (19) in March.

See the top ten list below, and have a look at February 2018’s figures here.

South Africa’s 10 best-selling bakkies of March 2018:

1. Toyota Hilux – 3 825
2. Ford Ranger – 2 753
3. Nissan NP200 –1 562
4. Isuzu KB – 1 273
5. Nissan NP300 – 603
6. Nissan Navara – 447
7. Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up – 262
8. Mahindra Pik-Up – 196
9. Volkswagen Amarok – 176
10. GWM Steed – 163

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/south-africas-10-best-selling-bakkies-of-march-2018/
 
Pre-emptive buying gives SA car market a boost in March

Though it couldn't catch the bakkies in the overall sales race, Volkswagen's new Polo Vivo shot to the top of the passenger car sales charts, as had been expected.
New-vehicle sales in South Africa saw slight growth last month as consumers pre-emptively bought to avoid the increase in value added tax, new vehicle emissions taxes and ad valorem duty changes announced in the budget.

The 49 233 cars, light commercial vehicles and trucks sold in March improved by 535 units or 1.1% compared to the same month last year.

The growth was mainly driven by passenger cars which were 3.7% up on March 2017, as bakkies and mini buses took a 2.3% tumble. Medium-sized trucks dropped 14.6% and heavy trucks were down 7.9% compared to the corresponding month last year.

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) expects new-vehicle sales to grow by 3% overall in 2018.

It says medium term prospects for the economy had improved considerably on the back of the decision by Moody’s to retain South Africa’s international and domestic credit rating at investment grade, as well as the 0.25% reduction in official interest rate at the end of March, 2018.

TOP 20 SELLING VEHICLES - MARCH 2018

1. Toyota Hilux3825
2. Ford Ranger2753
3. VW Polo Vivo2736
4. VW Polo2121
5. Nissan NP2001562
6. Toyota Quantum1540
7. Toyota Fortuner1274
8. Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest1189
9. Hyundai Grand i101032
10. Renault Kwid856
11. Ford EcoSport813
12. Kia Picanto789
13. Toyota Etios696
14. Toyota Yaris664
15. Datsun Go610
16. Nissan NP300603
17. Ford Everest559
18. VW Tiguan525
19. Hyundai i10516
20. BMW 3 Series506

Watch out for our comprehensive 'best sellers by segment' feature on Wednesday.

* List excludes Mercedes-Benz and GWM who do not reveal their monthly sales figures.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...gives-sa-car-market-a-boost-in-march-14219567
 
In March Mercedes Benz sold 1838 passenger cars.
GWM sold 59 cars and 163 Steeds.
 
I had a Grand i10 as a rental for a week in Cape Town recently and can see why it sells so well. Such amazing bang for buck and during the one near-200km trip to Ceres, I didn't even miss my much adored Ranger 3.2 back home. Great car - I'd buy one!
 
FlashSA said:
I had a Grand i10 as a rental for a week in Cape Town recently and can see why it sells so well. Such amazing bang for buck and during the one near-200km trip to Ceres, I didn't even miss my much adored Ranger 3.2 back home. Great car - I'd buy one!
Click to expand...
Just remember to turn off the aircon when going up hill.
 
Nick333 said:
Just remember to turn off the aircon when going up hill.
Click to expand...

Haha, it actually performed very well up the steep hill into Ceres and, as the saying goes, nothing revs better than a rental. I am used to proper power on a daily basis but that little Grand i10 really impressed me :)
 
Agreed, even a Picanto impressed me when I got it as a rental.
 
SA’S 10 BEST-SELLING PASSENGER CARS OF MARCH 2018

March 2018’s aggregate new vehicle sales in South Africa came in at 49 233 units or an increase of 1,1% year-on-year, according to Naamsa.

As always, it’s interesting to take a look at what’s happening in terms of individual model sales. We’ve already examined the figures and picked out the 10 best-selling bakkies for the month (as well as the 12 worst-selling passenger vehicles), and now it’s time to do the same with the passenger vehicle market.

Interestingly, BMW recently opted to resume the release of its individual model sales figures, while certain other automakers – most notably German rival Mercedes-Benz – still disclose only aggregate sales statistics. Kia and Hyundai also thankfully started releasing their individual model sales figures a few months ago, which makes the picture a little clearer.

So, what happened in the third month of 2018? Well, the latest Volkswagen Polo Vivo climbed up one to grab top spot, effectively swapping places with the new Polo. The Toyota Fortuner enjoyed a particularly strong month, moving up two spots to third and forcing Toyota’s combination of the Corolla, Auris and Corolla Quest (the brand reports an overall figure rather than individual model sales) down one to fourth.

The Hyundai Grand i10 also dropped one place to fifth, while the Renault Kwid – no doubt bolstered by the recent addition of an automated manual derivative to the local range – returned to the table to grab sixth.

The Ford EcoSport held steady in seventh, while the Kia Picanto climbed one spot to eighth. The Toyota Etios fell three to ninth, while the Toyota Yaris – now sourced from Thailand rather than Europe – grabbed the final spot on the table, with an impressive showing of 664 units (following its strong debut with 557 units in February).

Other bits and bobs

So, what other interesting titbits can we share? Predictably, BMW’s strongest performer in March was the 3 Series (506), followed by the X1 (224) and X5 (171). The new X2, meanwhile, contributed 52 units to the Munich-based brand’s cause. And Alfa Romeo? Well, the Italian automaker moved just two examples each of its Giulia and 4C and four of its Stelvio and Giulietta.

The Everest (559) came close to making the top ten, while the Fiesta added 477 units and the Figo 370 for Ford. The Mustang managed 56 units, while the Kuga improved to a total of 119 units. Honda’s top performer for the month was the BR-V (277), while the Jazz fell just a single unit short of 200.

The outgoing Hyundai i10 added 516 units to the already impressive tally served up by the Grand i10, while the Creta (413) managed to outsell the Tucson (400). The new Jaguar E-Pace (136) started strongly, while the Range Rover Sport (147) proved to be the British automaker’s best seller in March. Just two examples of the Jaguar XE, meanwhile, left dealer floors.

Kia registered 355 units of its Rio, while Mahindra’s top seller was its KUV100 (66). Mazda’s charge was again led by the CX-5 (378), while Mitsubishi sold 21 units of its Pajero and 24 of its Pajero Sport. The Datsun GO (610) only just missed out on a top ten spot, and Nissan enjoyed strong showings from the likes of the Qashqai (489), X-Trail (444), Almera (403) and Micra Active (396).

Opel sold a total of 255 units in March (with the Corsa leading the way with 128 units), while Peugeot and Subaru both again managed to crack three figures, with the 208 contributing 43 registrations for the French brand and the XV adding 40 for the Japanese automaker. Porsche’s most popular product was the 911 (47), while the Clio (422) and Sandero (294) starred for Renault.

Ferrari added three more units of its 812 Superfast to the seven registered in February, while the fresh-faced Ignis (290) outsold the outgoing Swift (279) to assume the role of Suzuki’s top seller (interestingly, the evergreen Jimny added a useful 115 units).

Lexus could sell just a single example each of its LC500, RC and LS, but the NX weighed in with 44 units. Toyota’s Avanza (425) continued its strong run, while the RAV4 added 463 units. The Land Cruiser 200 (136) and Prado (119) also enjoyed good showings, while the 86 could manage just one unit.

The A3 (279), A4 (110) and Q5 (103) performed the heavy lifting for Audi, while the Tiguan (525) and Golf (381) enjoyed solid months for the Volkswagen brand.

See the top ten table below (and have a look back at February 2018’s figures here):

South Africa’s 10 best-selling passengers cars of March 2018:

1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2 736
2. Volkswagen Polo – 2 121
3. Toyota Fortuner – 1 274
4. Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest – 1 189
5. Hyundai Grand i10 – 1 032
6. Renault Kwid – 856
7. Ford EcoSport – 813
8. Kia Picanto – 789
9. Toyota Etios – 696
10. Toyota Yaris – 664

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-10-best-selling-passenger-cars-of-march-2018/
 
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