The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

Weak Rand hurts SA vehicle sales: New car, bakkie sales 'disappointing' in August

"The latest domestic sales figures, particularly new car and light commercial vehicle sales, have been disappointing," reports the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) following the results of August 2018 new car sales.

New vehicle sales at 47 964 units show a decline of 1234 vehicles (-2.5%) compared to the 49 198 cars sold in August 2017.

Export sales recorded a welcome improvement; total export sales at 32 247 vehicles reflects an improvement of 2317 units (7.7%) compared to the 29 930 vehicles exported in August last year.

Decline all-round

Overall, out of the total reported sales of 47 964 vehicles, an estimated 38 795 units or 80.9% represented dealer sales, an estimated 12.5% represented sales to the vehicle rental Industry, 3.7% to industry corporate fleets and 2.9% to the government.

The SA new car market at 31 447 units registered a decline of 722 cars (-2.2%) compared to the 32 169 new cars sold in August 2017. Naamsa said: "On the back of continued fleeting replenishment, the car rental industry contributed an estimated 17% of new car sales during the month."

Sales of new light commercial vehicles (LCV), bakkies and mini buses declined during August 2018; the market registered 13 956 units, a decline of 866 units or 5.8% compared to the 14 822 LCVs sold during the corresponding month last year.

Poor Rand

Naamsa comments: "The current socio-political discourse in South Africa was not conducive to uplifting business confidence and investment sentiment, both of which were critical to an improvement in South Africa’s economic performance. Sustainable economic growth was essential to support the creation of new employment opportunities. Urgent steps were needed to address South Africa’s structural problems including skills shortages, general productivity, de-industrialisation and low fixed investment growth.

"The recent sharp depreciation of the Rand exchange rate would exert upward pressure on general inflation, as well as on new vehicle prices. The sharp decline in the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index was a source of concern and suggested a continuation of challenging business and trading conditions during the months ahead.

"As a result, conditions in the domestic new vehicle market were expected to remain under pressure over the short to medium term. Vehicle exports remained a function of the direction of the global economy. Rising protectionism internationally and trade disputes had contributed to uncertainty and could result in lower global growth going forward and higher inflation. Naamsa recently revised downwards the 2018 industry vehicle export projections to 340 000 – a decline of 7.0% from the previous projection of 366 000.

"However, on the back of fairly strong order books, vehicle exports should improve over the balance of 2018 and reflect strong upward momentum in 2019, 2020 and subsequent years. The expectation of export sales for 2019 was currently 384 000 export units."

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_...bakkie-sales-disappointing-in-august-20180903

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Best-selling cars in SA: VW's Polo runs rampant, good month for Kia, Hyundai in August

The Volkswagen Polo retained its position as the best-selling passenger car for a second consecutive month but also took top honours as South Africa’s top-selling vehicle in August 2018.

Naamsa figures reveal that 3414 Polos rolled off showroom floors last month - some 48 units more than the Toyota Hilux. Its closest rival, the smaller Polo Vivo, managed 1900 units to grab second place.

The Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest secured third place with 1155 units sold.

Kia’s Picanto (1071) and Hyundai Grandi10 (1020) grab the fourth and fifth place, respectively. The Toyota Etios moved into sixth with 900 units.

The ultra-popular Toyota Fortuner slipped down the order but managed to retain a place in the top ten; It sold 888 units last month to grab the seventh place, four units clear of its stablemate, the Yaris (884 units).

Renault’s affordable Kwid (767 units) sold the ninth most vehicles, while the Ford Figo completes the top ten with 732 units.

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_...good-month-for-kia-hyundai-in-august-20180903

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SA’s 10 best-selling passenger cars of August 2018

According to Naamsa, August’s new vehicle industry sales came in at 47 964 units, representing a fall of 2,5%, year on year. Here’s what happened in the eighth month of the year in the passenger car segment…

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, and now it’s time to do the same with the passenger vehicle market.

Unfortunately, BMW has “for the time being” again opted to report only aggregate sales data, mirroring the approach taken by German rival Mercedes-Benz not to provide individual model sales figures. Kia and Hyundai, though, thankfully started releasing their individual model sales figures months ago, which makes the picture a little clearer.

So, what happened in August 2018? Well, the Volkswagen Polo retained the passenger vehicle sales crown, easily outselling the Polo Vivo, which again had to settle for second. Toyota’s combination of the Corolla, Auris and Corolla Quest (the brand reports an overall figure rather than individual model sales) remained in third place.

The Kia Picanto rocketed four places up the table to take fourth, pushing its Hyundai Grand i10 cousin down one to fifth. The Toyota Etios climbed three places to sixth, with the Toyota Fortuner close behind in seventh (falling two spots).

The Toyota Yaris dropped two places to eighth, while the Renault Kwid returned to the table to grab ninth. The Ford Figo, meanwhile, clung to tenth.

Other bits and bobs

So, what else caught our eye in August 2018? Well, by combining all of its brands, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles managed to just about break into three figures, with the Fiat 500 (21) and Tipo (15) proving the most popular offerings.

Ford’s refreshed EcoSport hit 537 units for the month, while the new Fiesta (393) also contributed to the Blue Oval brand’s cause. Although the Everest (429) couldn’t keep up with the Fortuner, it easily outsold the Isuzu MU-X (83) and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (41). And the Mustang? Another solid month, with 118 units registered (six more than the Kuga)…

Honda’s top performer was the HR-V (152), which outperformed the Jazz (117), Brio (112) and BR-V (109). Hyundai enjoyed a particularly strong showing from its i20 (674), while the Tucson (354) and Creta (310) also contributed gamely, despite the disruption that came with switching over to facelifted versions.

In August, the Range Rover Sport (85) was the best-selling vehicle in Jaguar Land Rover’s stable, while the E-Pace managed 76 units (three more than the Volvo XC40). Kia registered a further two examples of its Stinger, along with 340 units of its Rio and 208 of its Sportage. Mahindra hit a total of 166 units for the month, with the XUV (43) proving its most popular vehicle.

The Mazda CX-5 (448) had a particularly strong month, with the CX-3 (338), Mazda3 (277) and Mazda2 (217) also coming to the party for the Japanese automaker. The Nissan group fell just 30 units short of the 2 000-mark, with the Datsun Go (631) doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. The Almera (405), new Micra (219) and Qashqai (201) also made an impression in August.

The Crossland X (85) was Opel’s top-seller for the month, just ahead of the Corsa (81). Peugeot’s total fell to 60 units, almost half of which came courtesy of the 3008 (29). The Renault Sandero (683), meanwhile, came close to winning a place in the top ten, and was ably backed up by the Clio (408).

Suzuki again crossed into four figures for the month, with the new Swift (488), Ignis (192) and Celerio (130) doing the majority of the work. In addition to the four spots it occupied in the top ten, Toyota also enjoyed strong performances from the Avanza (442), Rush (300) and C-HR (223). The RAV4, meanwhile, fell to 268 units (down drastically from 949 in the previous month).

The A4 (188) outsold the A3 (153) for Audi, while the Tiguan (417), Golf (332) and Up (208) returned solid months for the Volkswagen brand. The new Volvo XC60, meanwhile, hit 92 units in August, making it the Swedish automaker’s most popular product locally.

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

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

1. Volkswagen Polo – 3 414
2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 1 900
3. Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest – 1 155
4. Kia Picanto – 1 071
5. Hyundai Grand i10 – 1 020
6. Toyota Etios – 900
7. Toyota Fortuner – 888
8. Toyota Yaris – 884
9. Renault Kwid – 767
10. Ford Figo – 732

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-10-best-selling-passenger-cars-of-august-2018/
 
New Car Sales Summary in SA - August 2018

August 2018 was yet another disappointing month for new car and light commercial vehicle sales in South Africa while export sales recovered moderately during the period according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA).

Despite the declines experienced in August 2018, WesBank states that the industry has remained relatively flat year-to-date currently reflecting -0.6% for the first 8 months of the year.

“Despite perpetual pressure on the economy this year with total industry sales remaining subdued, the dealer channel has been resilient showing 2.4% year-to-date growth. “With four months remaining in 2018, WesBank’s forecast of 3% growth is still possible. However, if the deterioration of the rand to foreign currencies continues as we’ve seen in August, consumers could feel more of a pinch when buying new cars going forward” said Ghana Msibi, WesBank’s Executive Head for Sales and Marketing.

New Cars Sales Summary - August 2018

Aggregate vehicle sales of 47 964 units down by 2.5% (-1 234 units) compared to August 2017

Passenger car sales of 31 447 units down by 2.2% (-722 units) compared to August 2017

Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales of 13 956 down by 5.8% (-866 units) compared to August 2017

Export sales of 32 247 units up by 7.7% (2 317 units) compared to August 2017

Best Selling Car Brands in SA

Toyota - 10 869 units

Volkswagen - 7 932 units

Ford - 4 979 units

Nissan - 4 936 units

Hyundai - 3 162 units

Best Selling Cars in SA

Toyota Hilux - 3 366 units

Volkswagen Polo - 2 993 units

Ford Ranger - 2 535 units

Volkswagen Polo Vivo - 1 900 units

Nissan NP200 - 1 634 units

Isuzu KB - 1 542 units

Toyota Quantum - 1 477 units

Kia Picanto - 1 071 units

Hyundai Grand i10 - 1 020 units

Nissan NP300 - 905 units

Sales Outlook

The current socio-political environment has negatively impacted on business confidence and investor sentiment. The weakening Rand will exert pressure on inflation and new vehicle prices while challenges in the business and trading environment are expected to continue into the foreseeable future. The domestic market will, therefore, remain under pressure for the short to medium term.

Export performance remains a function of the direction of the global economy and rising protectionism and trade disputes are contributing to uncertainty with lower global growth and higher inflation expected. NAAMSA predicts an export decline of 340 000 units or 7.0% for 2018. However, vehicle exports are expected to improve for the remainder of the year with positive momentum expected in 2019 and 2020. Export projections for 2019 are currently estimated at 384 000 units.

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/new-car-sales-summary-in-sa---august-2018/45482/
 
SA’s 11 worst-selling cars (under R500k) of August 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 August 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 and Kia now report 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 and latterly BMW) 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 officially 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 August? Well, Renault again failed to sell a single example of its Kadjar, seemingly still struggling with stock problems. Toyota likewise didn’t register a single Prius.

Tata managed to sell only one Bolt, while just two examples of each of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Subaru Impreza were registered in the month. The Abarth 595 range and the Suzuki Grand Vitara managed three apiece, while the Kia Cerato and Kia Soul ended up on four units each.

The Kia Sorento (which is due a facelift shortly) could muster just five units, while the back-in-SA Peugeot 308 closed out the list with seven sales. Models that struggled in July but managed to avoid placing on August’s list included the Renault Mégane (40), Subaru Forester (26) and Fiat 500X (10).

For reference, see July’s list here.

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

Renault Kadjar – 0
Toyota Prius – 0
Tata Bolt – 1
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 2
Subaru Impreza – 2
Abarth 595 – 3
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 3
Kia Cerato – 4
Kia Soul – 4
Kia Sorento – 5
Peugeot 308 – 7

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-11-worst-selling-cars-under-r500k-of-august-2018/
 
SA's best selling vehicles in 7 key segments: August

Following months of modest growth, South African new vehicle sales entered negative territory in August.

The market saw an overall decline of 2.5 percent versus August last year, to 47 964 units in total, with passenger car sales falling 2.2 percent to 32 169 and light commercials seeing a 5.8 percent drop to 13 956.

More encouraging from an economic perspective, however, was the respective 9.3 percent and 18.8 percent gains registered in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle markets and speaking of positive news, new vehicle exports surged by 7.7 percent to 32 247 units.

However, Naamsa expects the South African market to remain under pressure for the foreseeable future, due to flagging business and consumer confidence.

Inflationary pressures are also expected to take their toll, not only through record fuel prices and other general expenses that might cause motorists to hold off on new car prices - unless the rand recovers soon from its latest plunge, new vehicle prices are certain to increase.

The compact car market continues to show growth in light of these circumstances and fittingly August saw Volkswagen’s Polo surge to the top of the overall sales charts with 3414 sales.

Toyota’s Hilux and Ford’s Ranger took second and third with respective sales of 3366 and 2535 units, while VW’s Polo Vivo came in fourth with 1900 units finding homes.

Below we’ve listed the best sellers in seven of the key market segments. Keep in mind that Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche vehicles are excluded from the list as the companies no longer report individual sales figures.


Budget Car August July

VW Polo Vivo 1900 2321
Kia Picanto 1071 893
Hyundai Grand i10 1020 1141
Toyota Etios 900 830
Renault Kwid 767 656
Ford Figo 732 808
Renault Sandero 683 505
Datsun Go 631 461
Suzuki Swift 488 403
Volkswagen Up 208 164
Nissan Micra Active 175 205
Suzuki Celerio 130 145

Compact Car August July

VW Polo 3414 2817
Toyota Yaris 884 974
Hyundai i20 674 651
Toyota Avanza 448 544
Renault Clio 418 412
Nissan Almera 405 377
Ford Fiesta 393 296
Kia Rio 340 303
Hyundai Accent 227 94
Nissan Micra 5 219 201
Mazda2 217 220
Honda Jazz 117 105

Compact/Medium Car August July

Toyota Corolla/Quest/Auris 1155 2047
VW Golf 332 329
Mazda3 277 268
Audi A3 153 215
Volkswagen Jetta 142 105
Hyundai Elantra 111 108
Ford Focus 66 56
Renault Megane 40 0
Volvo V40 33 19
Opel Astra 31 29

Compact SUV/Crossover August July

Ford Ecosport 537 575
Mazda CX-3 338 388
Hyundai Creta 310 209
Toyota C-HR 223 193
Nissan Qashqai 201 99
Suzuki Ignis 192 208
Honda HR-V 152 83
Renault Duster 129 147
Renault Captur 129 105
Opel Crossland X 85 88
Audi Q3 67 49
GWM M4 42 54

Compact-Medium SUV/Crossover August July

Mazda CX-5 448 372
VW Tiguan 417 494
Hyundai Tucson 354 492
Toyota Rush 300 494
Toyota Rav4 268 949
Kia Sportage 208 183
Nissan X-Trail 169 186
Ford Kuga 112 123
Honda BR-V 109 163
Volvo XC60 92 75
Honda CR-V 76 58
Jaguar E-Pace 76 65

Large SUV/Crossover August July

Toyota Fortuner 888 1006
Ford Everest 429 352
Toyota Land Cruiser200 109 85
Toyota Prado 108 84
Range Rover Sport 85 91
Isuzu MU-X 83 76
Volvo XC90 62 38
Land Rover Discovery 56 55
Volkswagen Touareg 55 0
Range Rover Velar 43 43

Bakkie (All) August July

Toyota Hilux 3366 3373
Ford Ranger 2535 2499
Nissan NP200 1634 1356
Nissan NP300 Hardbody 1092 1218
Isuzu KB 1542 1165
Hyundai H100 Bakkie 337 281
VW Amarok 181 270
Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-Up 181 238
Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up 248 236
GWM Steed 182 153
Nissan Navara 139 144
Kia K2700 84 92

TOP COMPANIES

Toyota 10 869 12 840
Volkswagen 7932 7691
Ford 4979 4856
Nissan 4936 4530
Hyundai 3162 3150
Mercedes-Benz 1949 1904
Renault 2161 1829
Isuzu 1919 1656
Kia 1750 1554
BMW 1537 1479

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...ng-vehicles-in-7-key-segments-august-16880397
 
7 biggest vehicle-exporters from South Africa in August 2018

For August 2018, Naamsa said that while South Africa’s domestic sales figures were “disappointing”, export sales had recorded a welcome improvement.

August 2018 aggregate export sales at 32 247 vehicles reflected an improvement of 2 317 units or a gain of 7,7% compared with the 29 930 vehicles exported in August last year. So, let’s take a look at which automakers were the biggest exporters from South Africa for the month.

Mercedes-Benz enjoyed a particularly strong month, remaining in first place and exporting 10 048 examples of its C-Class from the East London plant. Ford again had to settle for second spot, shipping off 6 744 units (comprising 6 726 units of the Ranger and 18 units of the Everest) from its Silverton facility in the month.

The BMW Group likewise held steady in third, with its Rosslyn plant churning out 5 532 examples of the X3 for foreign markets. The Volkswagen Group moved up one place to fourth, exporting 5 268 examples of the Polo hatchback from Uitenhage.

Toyota thus fell one to fifth with an export figure of 3 582, including 3 391 examples of its Hilux, 111 units of the Fortuner and 71 vehicles from its Corolla/Quest line (all built at its Prospecton factory), plus seven examples of Hino trucks.

Nissan added 465 (made up of 424 Hardbody units, 19 NP200s and 22 NP300s) to place sixth, while Isuzu managed 422 (including 399 examples of the KB bakkie, 20 units of the MU-X and three trucks) to again take seventh.

For reference, see July 2018’s list here…

Biggest exporters for August 2018:

Mercedes-Benz: 10 048
Ford Motor Company: 6 744
BMW Group: 5 532
Volkswagen Group: 5 268
Toyota: 3 582
Nissan: 465
Isuzu: 422

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/7-biggest-vehicle-exporters-south-africa-august-2018/
 
South Africa’s 10 best-selling bakkies of September 2018

The sales figures for September 2018 are in … and a whopping 927 units separate the top two vehicles as the battle for the title of South Africa’s best-selling bakkie continues. Only thing is, that battle has become somewhat one-sided.

So, what exactly happened in terms of bakkie sales in September 2018? Well, the recently refreshed Toyota Hilux remained at the very top, with the Ford Ranger having to settle for second place yet again. By our maths, that puts the Hilux a mammoth 7 395 units ahead of the Ranger in the year-to-date race, with a mere three months left.

In September, the Nissan NP200 stayed in third spot, with the Isuzu KB likewise remaining in fourth. The Nissan NP300/Hardbody (we’re now combining these figures) rounded out the top half of the table, keeping its fifth-place ranking.

The Volkswagen Amarok climbed two places to sixth, while the Mahindra Pik-Up fell one to seventh. The Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up held steady in eighth, while the Nissan Navara moved up one spot to ninth. Meanwhile, the GWM Steed fell three to tenth, grabbing the final place on the list.

That means there was no room for the Mahindra Bolero (62), Fiat Fullback (32), Mitsubishi Triton (26) or Mazda BT-50 (3) in September. Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz South Africa doesn’t report individual model sales, so it’s hard to tell exactly how many X-Class units were sold during the month.

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

South Africa’s 10 best-selling bakkies of September 2018:
1. Toyota Hilux – 3 943
2. Ford Ranger – 3 016
3. Nissan NP200 – 1 888
4. Isuzu KB – 1 193
5. Nissan NP300/Hardbody – 812
6. Volkswagen Amarok – 291
7. Mahindra Pik-Up – 216
8. Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up – 178
9. Nissan Navara – 166
10. GWM Steed – 163

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/south-africas-10-best-selling-bakkies-september-2018/
 
September passenger vehicle sales:
GWM (Haval presumably) only 44.
Peugeot battle along at 81.
Tata sold 6
Subaru at 86.
Fiat/Alfa/Jeep 79.
Just how the feck do these guys still stay in business?

Porsche at a steady 102.

The wunderkind is Mercedes Benz; They retail 1305 passenger cars and they export.........9696 cars.

With the huge investment that GWM has committed their sales should at least surpass Mazda (1111) or Suzuki (1140). I still scratch my head about the dismal performance of the Baleno sales. I would expect a lot more than 65.
 
SA’s 10 best-selling passenger cars of September 2018

According to Naamsa, September 2018’s new vehicle industry sales came in at 49 670 units, representing a fall of 1,9%, year on year. Here’s what happened in the ninth month of the year in the passenger vehicle segment…

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, and now it’s time to do the same with the passenger vehicle market.

Unfortunately, BMW has “for the time being” again opted to report only aggregate sales data, mirroring the approach taken by German rival Mercedes-Benz not to provide individual model sales figures (Porsche recently followed suit). Kia and Hyundai, though, thankfully started releasing their individual model sales figures months ago, which makes the picture a little clearer.

So, what happened in September 2018? Well, the Volkswagen Polo retained the passenger vehicle sales crown, outselling the second-placed Polo Vivo by almost 1 900 units. Toyota’s combination of the Corolla, Auris and Corolla Quest (the brand reports an overall figure rather than individual model sales) remained in third place.

The Toyota Fortuner moved up three places to fourth, while the Yaris enjoyed a particularly strong month, hitting four figures and climbing three spots to fifth. The Hyundai Grand i10 thus fell one place to sixth, while the Ford Fiesta returned to the table (at the expense of the Figo) to grab seventh.

The Renault Kwid climbed one place to eighth, while the Kia Picanto fell five spots to ninth. The Toyota Etios dropped four places to tenth.

Other bits and bobs

So, what else caught our eye in September 2018? Well, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles managed just 79 units in total for the month, with Alfa Romeo accounting for just eight. Fiat’s best-seller was the Tipo (13), while the Wrangler managed eleven units for Jeep.

Peugeot didn’t fare much better, reporting a total of 81 registrations for the month. The 208 and 3008 each totalled 34 units, with the facelifted 308 and 2008 managing just 13 units between them. Subaru hit a total of 86 units, much of which came courtesy of the Forester (35) and XV (25).

The Figo added 520 units for Ford, with the EcoSport not far behind on 461. The Everest (426) easily outsold the Isuzu MU-X (55) and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (51), while the Kuga was just three units short of three figures. Honda’s top-seller was the Brio (237), with the BR-V (150) and Jazz (106) also contributing.

After the Grand i10, the i20 (592) was Hyundai’s best performer, with the refreshed Creta (370) and Tucson (281) also faring fairly well considering the sales dip that usually accompanies model switchovers. Jaguar Land Rover’s strongest performers were the Range Rover Sport (68), Jaguar E-Pace (67) and Land Rover Discovery (61).

The Rio added 271 units for Kia and the Sportage 208, while Mahindra’s top-seller was the XUV (61). As is so often the case, the CX-5 (352) did the heavy lifting for Mazda, although the CX-3 (318), Mazda3 (225) and Mazda2 (204) also came to the party for the Japanese brand.

The Nissan group’s best-seller was again the Datsun Go (485), with an additional 217 units added by the Go+. The Almera (384), X-Trail (364) and Qashqai (244) also featured, while the new Micra fell to 150 units. The Corsa led the way for Opel, accounting for 137 of the brand’s 243 passenger vehicle sales in September.

Renault enjoyed strong showings from the Clio (677), Captur (431), Duster (373) and Sandero (283). The new Swift (413) performed admirably for Suzuki, as did the Celerio (208) and Ignis (154). The Avanza (491), Rush (248) and C-HR (224) added useful figures to Toyota’s cause, while the RAV4 had to be content with 291 registrations (up from August’s 268 but down from July’s 949).

The Tiguan added 565 units to Volkswagen’s total, with the Golf contributing 305. The A3 (306) again led the way for Audi, while the new XC60 hit 115 units for Volvo (outselling the XC40, which managed 78 units).

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

South Africa’s 10 best-selling passenger cars of September 2018:

Volkswagen Polo – 3 866
Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 1 976
Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest – 1 680
Toyota Fortuner – 1 345
Toyota Yaris – 1 111
Hyundai Grand i10 – 1 049
Ford Fiesta – 837
Renault Kwid – 808
Kia Picanto – 750
Toyota Etios – 738

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-10-best-selling-passenger-cars-of-september-2018/
 
SA vehicle market sees moderate decline in August

South Africa’s new vehicle market declined marginally for the second month in the row in August, with sales down 1.9 percent year-on-year (49 670 versus 50 644) according to Naamsa.

Year to date, new vehicle sales are down 0.8 percent, compared to the first nine months of 2017, with passenger vehicles registering the smallest decline (0.3 percent), while light commercials are down 2.4 percent. Medium to heavy commercials are actually up 2.3 percent.

Interestingly, sales through the dealer channel have actually increased by 1.9 percent year to date, according to WesBank.

“Economic headwinds are likely to persist and cause continued strain on the automotive industry. However, we are encouraged by new vehicle sales though the dealer network that increased 0.9% month-on-month and 1.9% year-to-date,” said WesBank marketing head Ghana Msibi.

“As we enter the final quarter of 2018, we remain hopeful that our prediction of 0.75% total industry growth can still be achieved, but not without some challenges.”
On the sales charts, Toyota’s Hilux and Volkswagen’s latest-generation Polo both had stellar sales months, with 3943 and 3866 units sold respectively, while Ford’s Ranger came in third with 3016 sales.

Other notable performers were the Volkswagen Polo Vivo (1976), Nissan NP200 (1888), the Toyota Corolla, Quest and Auris trio with a combined 1680 units and Toyota’s Fortuner (1345).

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...rket-sees-moderate-decline-in-august-17304673
 
SA’s 12 worst-selling cars (under R500k) of September 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 September 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 and Kia now report 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 and latterly BMW) 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 officially discontinued locally (in this instance, we also didn’t include the Kia Sorento, which sold three units in September, as it is in run-out ahead of an imminent facelift). And we’ve also heeded the call to include model ranges that failed to sell a single unit (none this month, though).

So, what happened in the ninth month of 2018? Well, the Abarth 595 and Toyota Prius each sold just a single unit, while the Jeep Renegade, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Kia Cerato and Peugeot 308 mustered just two apiece.

Opel’s Grandland X made an appearance on the list with just five registrations, a number matched by the Subaru Impreza and Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Tata Bolt managed six units, while the Fiat 500X and Nissan NV200 closed out the list with eight each.

Models that struggled in August but managed to avoid placing on September’s list included the Renault Kadjar (which has been discontinued locally) and Kia Soul (10).

For reference, see August’s list here.

SA’s 12 worst-selling passenger cars (under R500k) of September 2018

Abarth 595 – 1
Toyota Prius – 1
Jeep Renegade – 2
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 2
Kia Cerato – 2
Peugeot 308 – 2
Opel Grandland X – 5
Subaru Impreza – 5
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 5
Tata Bolt – 6
Fiat 500X – 8
Nissan NV200 – 8

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-12-worst-selling-cars-r500k-september-2018/
 
Biggest vehicle-exporters from SA in September 2018

For September 2018, Naamsa said South Africa’s export vehicle sales hit an “all-time high”. Yes, the month’s aggregate export vehicle sales represented a record number at 36 781 units, an improvement of 440 units or a gain of 1,2% compared with the 36 341 vehicles exported in September 2017.

So, let’s take a look at which automakers were the biggest exporters from South Africa for the month.

Mercedes-Benz remained in first place, exporting 9 700 examples (down 348 units, month on month) of its C-Class from the East London plant. The Volkswagen Group, meanwhile, rocketed two places up the table to second, exporting 9 440 examples (up a whopping 4 172 units) of its Polo hatchback from Uitenhage.

Ford thus fell to third place, shipping off 6 552 units (comprising 6 547 units of the Ranger and five units of the Everest) from its Silverton facility in the month. This represents a slight decline of 192 units. The BMW Group also fell one spot (to fourth), with its Rosslyn plant churning out 5 680 examples of the X3 for foreign markets, representing a small increase of 148 units.

Toyota held steady in fifth with an export figure of 4 105, including 3 823 examples of its Hilux, 176 units of the Fortuner and 96 vehicles from its Corolla/Quest line (all built at its Prospecton factory), plus ten examples of Hino trucks. This total is up 523 units on the Japanese firm’s effort in August.

Nissan improved 236 units to 701 (made up of 593 Hardbody units, 61 NP200s and 47 NP300s) to place sixth, while Isuzu fell 73 units to 349 (including 336 examples of the KB bakkie and 13 units of the MU-X) to again take seventh.

For reference, see August 2018’s list here…

Biggest exporters for September 2018:

Mercedes-Benz: 9 700
Volkswagen Group: 9 440
Ford Motor Company: 6 552
BMW Group: 5 680
Toyota: 4 105
Nissan: 701
Isuzu: 349

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/biggest-vehicle-exporters-from-south-africa-in-september-2018/
 
Mercedes-Benz vs. BMW: who’s winning the 2018 sales race?

Mercedes-Benz and BMW have both released global sales figures for the first three quarters of 2018, so we’ve decided to take a closer look at exactly what’s going on in the luxury sales race.

From the start of January to the end of September 2018, the BMW brand managed to register 1 566 216units, which it says represents a year-on-year increase of 1,9 percent. And Mercedes-Benz? Well, the Stuttgart-based brand sold 1 715 087 units, down 0,1 percent (for the record, Audi managed 1 407 700 units, a year-on-year increase of 2,0%).

That puts Mercedes-Benz ahead by 148 871 units after the first three quarters of the year (compared with the 129 536 units that separated the two at the year’s halfway point).

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz Cars (which includes the Smart brand) sold a total of 1 811 471 vehicles in the first three quarters, some 23 339 units behind the BMW Group (which includes the Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad brands), which managed 1 834 810.

And in South Africa? Well, since Mercedes-Benz SA doesn’t report individual model sales figures, we can report only on the group’s passenger vehicle number (i.e., including Smart, but excluding Mercedes-Benz trucks). BMW Group SA, too, now reports only aggregated sales data.

In the first three quarters of the year, Mercedes sold 12 940 passenger vehicles in South Africa, while BMW managed 13 991 (this figure includes Mini, but excludes Rolls-Royce and Motorrad). That gives the Munich-based automaker a 1 051-unit local advantage in the passenger vehicle segment going into the final three months of 2018…

http://www.carmag.co.za/news/mercedes-benz-vs-bmw-whos-winning-2018-sales-race/
 
Want to boost the economy? Buy one of these SA-made cars

South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) could be boosted by R37 million a year if government only bought locally-produced vehicles.

This is what emerged in a recent study conducted by Lourens Weyer, a postgraduate student at the Wits School of Economics and Business Sciences, according to 702. Weyer pointed out that although it fluctuates from year to year, usually only a quarter of the vehicles government buys are locally made.

If government sales, which only make up between 2 and 3 percent of total vehicle sales can make such a difference to the local economy, imagine the implications if more corporations and ordinary citizens went the local route?

Sure, buying a locally-built car will limit your options somewhat as there are just 14 of them, but why not at least consider one of these before looking at other alternatives?

If nothing here suits you, next best thing is to consider one of the products imported by one of these manufacturers as you’re still supporting a company that has invested in the local economy and in most cases they’re building a single platform in high volume for export.

So here’s a quick go-to-guide to walk you through all the cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles that are built in South Africa.

BMW X3

The X3 recently replaced the 3-Series as BMW South Africa’s export product as part of a R6.1 billion investment.

The X3 is available with a relatively wide range of engines, with customers able to choose from three petrols (20i, 30i and M40i) and two diesels (20d and 30d), with outputs ranging from 135kW to 265kW.

Priced between R661 199 and R1 038 126, it is on the expensive side but certainly a great all-rounder that the well heeled and politicians should consider, and it’s downright exciting in M40i guise.

Ford Ranger

The Ranger is South Africa’s second best selling bakkie, and a big export too. It also comes in a wide range of models and South Africans sure love to accessorize them into their own personalised 'Mini Raptors'.

Single cabs are priced from R268 900 to R457 600 and SuperCabs from R398 900 and R579 900, while a double cab will set you back between R445 500 and R655 900.

The Rangers ride comfortably and the 2.2 and 3.2 diesel engines are known for their punchy performance, particularly the latter, while a new 2.0 twin-turbo diesel will bring extra sophistication to the range when it comes next year.

On that note, a recipient of the new 2.0 is the much-anticipated Raptor, which will usher in a revised Ranger line-up in 2019, all forming part of a R3 billion investment that Ford made to expand production in South Africa.

Ford Everest

The Ranger’s SUV sibling was initially imported but as of late 2016 it has been built in South Africa, a move that also brought a wider range that now includes more attainable, lower-spec 2.2-litre diesel models.

Considered to be the Fortuner's greatest enemy, the Everest is offered in a range of eight models, priced between R467 100 and R751 900, with 4x2 and 4x4 as well as 2.2 and 3.2 diesel options, as per the Ranger.

Isuzu D-Max

Isuzu stepped in to save the day when General Motors abandoned its local operation in May 2017, and the D-Max range (formerly KB) continues to be produced at the Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth.

Isuzu offers the usual mix of single cab (R256 100 - R477 900), extended cab (R358 000 - R513 700) and double cab (R332 500 - R606 400) derivatives, from humble workhorses to plush 4x4 leisure derivatives, powered by either 2.5 or 3.0 turbodiesel motors.

Although seemingly not quite as sophisticated as the Ranger and Hilux bakkies, Isuzu does offer some solid and affordable options, while the X-Rider double cab (R424 400) hits a sweet spot for those seeking something well priced and sporty.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

With the 3 Series making way for X3 on the local assembly line, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is now the only high-end sedan being built in South Africa, and it’s also our biggest export overall, with around 10 000 of them leaving the East London harbour for world markets each month.

The C-Class was recently given a facelift, with mild exterior and interior design changes joined by new electronics (with driver aids hand-me-downed from the S-Class) and fresh engines, including a new 1.5-litre turbopetrol in the C200.

The C has become rather expensive over the years, however, with the sedan range currently retailing for between R590 169 and R960 265.

Nissan NP200

Following GM’s exit and the demise, further back, of the Ford Bantam and Fiat Strada, the Nissan NP200 is the only unibody half-tonner left on the South African market and as such is the default choice in the segment.

Pricing is on the steep side, from R173 500 to R260 500, and the NP200 offers a choice of two 1.6-litre normally aspirated petrol engines (a 64kW 8-valve and 77kW 16-valve) and there’s a 63kW 1.5-litre turbodiesel.

Nissan NP300 Hardbody

A continuation of the older-generation Hardbody, the NP300 is a sturdy option for those that prefer sticking to the tried and tested.

Priced from R229 900 to R452 500, it offers a choice between 2.0 and 2.4 petrol engines or a 2.5 turbodiesel, single and double cab configurations and 4x2 and 4x4 transmissions.

Your Uber Cab

Toyota could just as well have called this the Uber as it is South Africa’s archetypal ride-hailing cab, although technically it is known as the Toyota Quest.

As it’s a continuation of the previous Corolla whose tooling has long been amortised, the Quest is significantly cheaper than the latest-generation Corolla or anything else in its size class for that matter, the four-door starting at R218 500.

The Quest offers a really comfy ride and the standard 1.6-litre engine has enough power to appease those whiny customers that insist on being delivered to their destinations in a hurry.

Toyota Corolla

The latest-generation Corolla is the more expensive four-door option in Toyota's range (R274 600 to R367 100) but it does offer more style, modern touchscreen infotainment and a wider range.

Corolla customers get to choose from 1.3, 1.6 and 1.8 normally aspirated petrol engines and a highly efficient 1.4 turbodiesel.

Toyota Hilux

South Africa’s best-selling vehicle by far, the Hilux is built in Prospecton for both local consumption and export.

The range was recently given a perk-up with facelifted SRX and Raider double cab models (and the new Dakar edition) getting Land Cruiser inspired styling, while a set of more affordable double cabs were added to the range.

As with some of its rivals, the line-up is so vast it’s dizzying, from simple workhorses to fully loaded double cabs. Single cabs cost between R254 500 and R528 400, Xtra cabs (R388 600 - R553 800) and double cabs (R387 000 - R667 100).

Five engines are on offer: 2.4 and 2.8 turbodiesels and 2.0, 2.7 and 4.0 V6 normally aspirated petrols.

Toyota Fortuner

Those migrating into the SUV world have made Toyota’s Fortuner the country’s best-selling SUV.

As before, it’s based on the Hilux but with a more sophisticated rear suspension and a more car-like exterior design.

All Hilux engine variants (barring the 2.0) are offered here, with prices going up from R468 200 to R701 400.

Toyota Quantum

South Africa’s most popular people mover, the Quantum caters for the taxi industry with its 16-seat Ses'fikile spin off, but it also does a fine job in the hospitality industry, and there’s a range of panel vans for goods hauling.

The Ses'fikile is priced at R410 900 and is only offered with Toyota’s 2.7 petrol engine, while the Panel Van (from R380 400) and GL Bus (from R491 200) also offer a 2.5 turbodiesel option.

Volkswagen Polo Vivo

Volkswagen has hit a sweet spot in the market with its carried-over previous-generation Polo series, which recently graduated to a more recent generation as the new Polo was launched.

Pricing starts at R185 900 and most engines in the range are VW’s older-generation normally aspirated units (1.4 and 1.6) but the range-topping GT gets the more modern 1.0 TSI, albeit at a price of R253 200.

Although VWSA has cut costs in places, the Polo Vivo still offers what is almost certainly the most mature product at the price. It’s still stylish after all these years and the cabin uber classy.

Volkswagen Polo

Built around VW’s latest MQB platform, the new Polo is bigger and more refined than its now-Vivofied predecessor, while also introducing the latest-generation cabin electronics, with premium options including a glass encased touchscreen system and digital instruments.

New Polo is powered by the company’s latest 1-litre, three-cylinder turbopetrol engine, offered in 70kW and 85kW guises, while the GTI gets a 147kW 2-litre turbo.

Expect to pay between R240 700 and R381 500.

Semi-knocked down (SKD) production

Technically speaking the aforementioned aren’t the only vehicles that are assembled in South Africa, but these are the major operations in which the vehicles are fully assembled on local turf.

It's worth noting that Hyundai and Mahindra also operate smaller SKD (semi-knocked down) operations for their H100 Bakkie and Pik-Up light commercial vehicles, the former operating from a facility in Benoni and the latter in Durban. These vehicles are imported in kit form and then finished off locally.

Chinese carmaker BAIC is also currently setting up a facility in Coega, which will initially assemble vehicles such as the X25 crossover in SKD form, with a view to expanding to full-scale production once its paint shop and other aspects are completed. Total investment is expected to eventually total R11 billion.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...conomy-buy-one-of-these-sa-made-cars-17651436
 
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