The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

South Africa’s 10 best-selling bakkies of January 2019

The sales figures for January 2019 are in … and exactly 600 units separate the top two vehicles as the battle for the title of South Africa’s best-selling bakkie starts all over again.

According to Naamsa, January’s new vehicle industry sales came in at 42 374 units, representing a decrease of 7,4 percent, year on year. The light commercial segment (11 681 units), meanwhile, remained steady compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

So, what exactly happened in terms of bakkie sales in the first month of 2019? Well, the Toyota Hilux – which was the best-selling bakkie range in SA in 2018, a whopping 9 877 units ahead of its nearest rival – started the year on top, with the Ford Ranger again taking second place.

The Nissan NP200, meanwhile, held steady in third spot, with the Isuzu D-Max – which has switched from the KB badge – remaining in fourth (its final figure comprised 821 units of the D-Max and 271 units of the KB). The Nissan NP300/Hardbody again rounded out the top half of the table, retaining fifth place.

The Mahindra Pik-Up climbed two places to sixth, while the Volkswagen Amarok fell one to seventh. The Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up dropped a place to eighth, while the GWM Steed climbed one to ninth. The Nissan Navara grabbed the final spot on the table.

That means there was no room for the Mahindra Bolero (69), Mitsubishi Triton (26), Mazda BT-50 (25) or Fiat Fullback (16) in January. 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 December 2018’s figures here.

South Africa’s 10 best-selling bakkies of January 2019:

1. Toyota Hilux – 2 794
2. Ford Ranger – 2 194
3. Nissan NP200 – 1 483
4. Isuzu KB/D-Max – 1 092
5. Nissan NP300/Hardbody – 621
6. Mahindra Pik-Up – 266
7. Volkswagen Amarok – 231
8. Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up – 228
9. GWM Steed – 192
10. Nissan Navara – 113

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/south-africas-10-best-selling-bakkies-january-2019/
 
SA’s 10 best-selling passenger cars of January 2019

According to Naamsa, January 2019’s new vehicle industry sales came in at 42 374 units, representing a fall of 7,4 percent, year on year. Here’s what happened in the first month of the year in the passenger vehicle segment…

As always, it’s interesting to take a look at what’s going on 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.

Interestingly, BMW has started reporting individual model sales figures again, while German rival Mercedes-Benz continues to provide only aggregate data (Porsche, too, recently followed suit). Kia and Hyundai, though, thankfully now release their individual model sales, which makes the picture a little clearer. Lamborghini, too, reported an aggregate figure (of five units) in January.

So, what happened in the first month of 2019? Well, the Volkswagen Polo stayed at the very top, again beating its Polo Vivo sibling into second place (although this time by a mere 51 units). Toyota’s combination of the Corolla, Auris and Corolla Quest (the brand reports an overall figure rather than individual model sales) climbed three to third.

The Toyota Fortuner remained steady in fourth, with the Hyundai Grand i10 likewise retaining its fifth place. Sixth spot went to the Hyundai i20, up two places month on month, with the Etios returning to the table to take seventh.

Toyota’s Yaris, too, made a reappearance, grabbing eighth place just ahead of the EcoSport and Figo (which gave Ford a return to the top ten after the Blue Oval brand missed out in December 2018).

Vehicles that placed in the top ten the final month of 2018 but fell from the table in January were the Renault Clio (200), Datsun Go (560) and Kia Picanto (612).

Other odds and ends

So, what else interesting happened in January? Well, BMW’s top-seller was the outgoing 3 Series (138), just a handful of units ahead of the locally built X3 (131) and the entry-level X1 (107). For Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, only the Fiat 500 (50) and Jeep Grand Cherokee (45) managed to push fairly deep into two figures.

Ford’s Fiesta (298) was up slightly on the previous month, while the Everest added a very useful 371 units and the Kuga a further 119. Just a single unit separated Honda’s Jazz (116) and Amaze sedan (115), while the Kona (102) broke through the three-figure barrier for Hyundai, which also enjoyed fair contributions from the Creta (238) and Tucson (225).

The Isuzu MU-X (38) nosed ahead of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (37), while the Range Rover Sport (91) was Jaguar Land Rover’s most popular offering. The Rio added 316 units for Kia, while the KUV100 (168) again led the charge for Mahindra. The CX-5 (408) played that role for Mazda, with the CX-3 (363) not far behind and the Mazda2 (249) and outgoing Mazda3 (216) also contributing gamely.

In the Nissan group, the Almera (405) was second only to the aforementioned Datsun Go, while the Corsa (71) edged out the Crossland X (70) as Opel’s top performer. Peugeot endured a particularly tough month, registering a total of just 24 units.

The new Duster managed 220 units for Renault, while the Sandero added 293. The Mégane hit 46 units for the French brand, while the soon-to-launch Koleos also made an appearance, with 35 units registered in January. Subaru’s new Forester enjoyed 93 registrations, while the Swift hatchback (479) was easily Suzuki’s strongest offering. That said, the short-in-supply Jimny (116), diminutive Ignis (115) and soon-to-be-refreshed Baleno (102) all crossed into three figures.

For Toyota, the Avanza added a useful 567 units, ably backed up by the RAV4 (476) and Rush (425). Volkswagen’s Tiguan (448) enjoyed a solid month, almost doubling the Golf’s figure of 259 units. Sales of the Volvo XC40, interestingly, fell to 11 units.

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

South Africa’s 10 best-selling passenger cars of January 2019:

1. Volkswagen Polo – 2 512
2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2 461
3. Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest – 2 202
4. Toyota Fortuner – 1 000
5. Hyundai Grand i10 – 867
6. Hyundai i20 – 715
7. Toyota Etios – 698
8. Toyota Yaris – 693
9. Ford EcoSport – 679
10. Ford Figo – 669

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-10-best-selling-passenger-cars-of-january-2019/
 
So glad to see the Ecosport back in the top 10. Hopefully once Truck Month is done and Ford SA have shifted all their current stock in preparation for the new T6 version 3's local launch, they'll come up with some killer Ford Credit SUV deals to boost Kuga and Ecosport sales numbers
 
epah said:
The Navara isn’t even trying. They should just discontinue it
Click to expand...

Too be fair most of the bakkie's higher up on the list have single cab options that many companies buy for their fleets while the Navara is only available in double cab option.
 
SA car sales dashboard: Local numbers start off slow, but exports start the year on a high

Commenting on the new vehicle sales statistics for the month of January 2019 - released today for public consumption via the website of the Department of Trade & Industry - the Association said that domestic new vehicle sales had started the year on a weak note principally due to lower than expected new car sales.

In the event, aggregate domestic sales at 42 374 units had declined by 3 398 units or 7.4% from the 45 772 vehicles sold in January last year. In contrast, export sales had started the year on a relatively strong note with January 2019 export sales at 18 289 vehicles which reflected a substantial improvement of 4 160 vehicles or a gain of 29.4% compared to the 14 129 vehicles exported in January last year.

Low growth environment

South Africa had experienced a low growth environment over the past five years and it was generally expected that this would continue until after the general election. Hopefully, according to Naamsa, post-election policy reforms and government’s commitment to revitalise the South African economy with the aim of achieving a substantially higher economic growth rate should translate into improved domestic sales numbers during the second half of 2019.

Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 42 374 vehicles, an estimated 33 633 units or 79.4% represented dealer sales, an estimated 14.3% represented sales to the vehicle rental Industry, 3.5% to government and 2.8% to industry corporate fleets.

The January 2019 new car market had been particularly weak and at 29 040 had registered a fall of 3512 cars or a decline of 10.8% compared to the 32 552 new cars sold in January last year. As had been the case for most of last year, the car rental industry had made a major contribution accounting for 19.9% of new car sales in January 2019 - translating into one in every five new cars sold during the month being a car rental sale.

Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles (LCVs), bakkies and mini buses at 11 681 units during January 2019 was virtually unchanged from the 11 679 light commercial vehicles sold during the corresponding month last year.

Sales in the low volume medium and heavy truck segments of the Industry had held up relatively well and at 552 units and 1 101 units, respectively, reflected a gain of 109 vehicles or an improvement of 24.6%, in the case of medium commercial vehicles, and, in the case of heavy trucks and buses, a marginal improvement of three vehicles or a gain of 0.3% compared to the corresponding month last year.

Encouraging exports

The January 2019 export sales number was encouraging, says Naamsa, in view of the fact that a major vehicle exporter had only restarted production at the end of January 2019 to allow for plant refurbishment. Despite this, January 2019 export sales at 18 289 vehicles showed a substantial improvement of 4160 units or a gain of 29.4% compared to the 14 129 vehicles exported in the same month last year.

Naamsa says: “The momentum of vehicle exports over the course of 2019 was expected to increase substantially and industry export sales for the year were, at this stage, projected at around 385 000 units compared to the 351 139 vehicles exported last year. Prospects for domestic new vehicle sales would be affected by the subdued current macro-economic environment and pressure on consumers’ disposable income. The November 2018 0.25% increase in interest rates had impacted on new car demand due to higher vehicle financing costs.”

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_...but-exports-start-the-year-on-a-high-20190204

IMG_0317.JPG
 
Are these journalists not paid enough to look back more than 1 year?

'started off slow'.

January 2018 was a disaster and this year is worse than that. 'slow' lol

January 2018 compared to 2017:
  • Aggregate new vehicle sales of 45 888 units down by 8.9% (4 498 units) compared to January 2017
  • Passenger car sales of 32 642 units down by 11.6% (4 266 units) compared to January 2017
  • LCV sales of 11 689 units down by 2.1% (251 units) compared to January 2017
  • Exports sales of 14 212 units up by 22% (2 561 units) compared to January 2017
 
SA’s 14 worst-selling cars (under R500k) of January 2019

he 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 January 2019, 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 these days report their individual model sales figures, which certainly helps to paint a more accurate monthly picture. But, of course, some other automakers (such as Mercedes-Benz) 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 (if the vehicle in question is no longer listed on the manufacturer’s local site, we won’t include it in the list below), such as Kia’s Cerato and Soul. And we’ve also heeded the call to include model ranges that failed to sell a single unit.

So, what happened in the first month of 2019? Well, there were no buyers for the Peugeot 308, Toyota Prius or Subaru Impreza, while just a single Suzuki Grand Vitara was registered (production has reportedly ceased, but the vehicle is still listed on Suzuki Auto SA’s website).

Just three examples of each of the Nissan NV200 and Jeep Renegade (the latter perhaps on run-out ahead of the local introduction of a facelifted model, but still showing on Jeep SA’s website) were sold, and four apiece of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Volkswagen Passat.

The Abarth 595 range mustered five sales, while the Peugeot 3008 hit a total of just six in January. The Ford Focus (still listed on Ford SA’s website ahead of the launch of the next-generation model), meanwhile, managed seven registrations, while the Fiat Panda, Opel Adam and Peugeot 208 had to settle for eight apiece.

Models that struggled in December but managed to avoid placing on January’s list included the Fiat 500X (12), Landwind X5 (12) and GWM H5 (9).

For reference, see December 2018’s list here.

SA’s 14 worst-selling passenger cars (under R500k) of January 2019

Peugeot 308 – 0
Toyota Prius – 0
Subaru Impreza – 0
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 1
Jeep Renegade – 3
Nissan NV200 – 3
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 4
Volkswagen Passat – 4
Abarth 595 – 5
Peugeot 3008 – 6
Ford Focus – 7
Fiat Panda – 8
Opel Adam – 8
Peugeot 208 – 8

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/sas-14-worst-selling-cars-r500k-january-2019/
 
New Car Sales: January 2019

The first month of 2019 is out of the way. How have car sales begun in 2019?

The local vehicle market is not off to a great start in 2019 with a total sales decline from the same period in 2018. New vehicle sales stumbled into 2019 with industry sales down 7.4% to 42 374 units year-on-year. According to the National Automobile Association of South Africa (Naamsa), passenger vehicles sales declined 10.8%, while Light Commercial Vehicle sales remained flat with 0% growth compared to January last year.

“This doesn’t come as a surprise given WesBank’s outlook for the new vehicle marketing during 2019,” says Ghana Msibi, WesBank Executive Head of Sales and Marketing. “We expect the first half to be slow given the increased pressure on household budgets as interest rates slowly increase and, especially, the political uncertainty towards the May elections.”

The rental market impacted the market substantially, slowing 25.7% to 6 041 units “We anticipated many tender processes and fleet deals to be delayed until after the elections but expect business to resume to normal levels in the second half of the year,” continued Msibi. “But these 2 091 fewer units in the market are a significant portion of the 3 398 fewer units sold during January.”

New car sales summary: January 2019

- Aggregate new car sales of 42 374 down by 7.4% (-3 398 units) compared with January 2018.
- Passenger car sales of 29 040 down by 10.8% (-3 512 units) compared with January 2018.
- Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales of 11 681 flat (+2 units) compared with January 2018.
- Export sales of 18 289 up by 29.4% (+4 160 units) compared with January 2018.

Top 5 Best Selling Car Brands in SA

1. Toyota - 11 254 units

2. Volkswagen - 7 318 units

3. Ford - 4 473 units

4. Nissan - 3 910 units

5. Hyundai - 2 797 units

Top 10 Best Selling Cars in SA

1. Toyota Hilux - 2 794 units

2. Volkswagen Polo - 2 512 units

3. Volkswagen Polo Vivo - 2 461 units

4. Ford Ranger - 2 194 units

5. Toyota Corolla Quest - 1 828 units

6. Nissan NP200 - 1 483 units

7. Toyota Quantum - 1 281 units

8. Toyota Fortuner - 1 000 units

9. Hyundai Grand i10 - 867 units

10. Isuzu Dmax/KB - 821 units

Sales Outlook

Prospects for domestic new vehicle sales would be affected by the subdued current macro-economic environment and pressure on consumers’ disposable income. The November, 2018 0.25% increase in interest rates had impacted on new car demand due to higher vehicle financing costs.

Most automotive companies expected new vehicle sales to be flat during the first half of the year, however, following the general election and policy reforms, including expectations of a growth-enhancing budget, domestic sales should improve during the second half of the year.

The expected business conditions component of the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index, which tracked expected business conditions in six months time, had risen sharply. Besides this positive development, average new vehicle pricing remained at around 2.5% remained well below the inflation rate and this would assist in improved new vehicle affordability for consumers.

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/new-car-sales-january-2019/46050/
 
SA's 50 top selling vehicles: January 2019

South Africa’s new vehicle market kicked the year off on a sombre note, with January’s sales taking a 7.4 percent plunge versus the same month last year, from 45 772 units to 42 374.

Passenger vehicle sales declined by 10.8 percent, year-on-year, according to Naamsa, while light commercial sales remained flat and the medium commercial market actually showed some decent growth at 24.6 percent.

This rocky start to the domestic sales year comes as no surprise, according to WesBank’s sales and marketing head Ghana Msibi.

“We expect the first half to be slow given the increased pressure on household budgets as interest rates slowly increase and, especially, the political uncertainty towards the May elections.

“We have seen steady increases in deal duration, which continues to impact new vehicle sales as consumers hold onto their cars for over 12% longer than they did in September 2017,” Msibi added.

“Given the economic environment, it is prudent for consumers to delay their vehicle purchases within the practical considerations of maintenance costs and reliability.”

Naamsa is hopeful that the vehicle market will show some improvement in the second half of 2018.

“Hopefully, post-election policy reforms and government’s commitment to revitalise the South African economy with the aim of achieving a substantially higher economic growth rate should translate into improved domestic sales numbers during the second half of 2019,” Naamsa said.

Vehicle exports got off to a better start, with January seeing a 29.4 percent year-on-year growth, to 18 289 units. What’s more, export sales are poised to increase substantially during the course of 2019, according to Naamsa, which predicts that overall export volumes will increase from 351 139 vehicles in 2018 to around 385 000 in 2019.

TOP 50 VEHICLE SALES: JANUARY 2019

Toyota Hilux 2794
Volkswagen Polo 2512
Volkswagen Polo Vivo 2461
Toyota Corolla/Quest/Auris 2202
Ford Ranger 2194
Nissan NP200 1483
Toyota Quantum 1281
Isuzu D-Max / KB 1092
Toyota Fortuner 1000
Hyundai Grand i10 867
Hyundai i20 715
Toyota Etios 698
Toyota Yaris 693
Ford EcoSport 679
Ford Figo 669
Nissan NP300 Hardbody 621
Kia Picanto 612
Toyota Avanza 567
Datsun Go 560
Renault Kwid 519
Suzuki Swift 479
Toyota Rav4 476
Volkswagen Tiguan 448
Toyota Rush 425
Mazda CX-5 408
Nissan Almera 405
Ford Everest 371
Mazda CX-3 363
Kia Rio 316
Ford Fiesta 298
Renault Sandero 293
Hyundai H100 Bakkie 283
Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up 266
Volkswagen Golf 259
Mazda2 249
Audi Q5 238
Hyundai Creta 238
Volkswagen Amarok 231
Toyota Land Cruiser PU 228
Hyundai Tucson 225
Renault Duster 220
Mazda3 216
Audi A3 207
Renault Clio 200
Volkswagen Up 197
GWM Steed 192
Toyota CH-R 176
Nissan Qashqai 171
Kia KUV 168
Kia Sportage 165

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/sas-50-top-selling-vehicles-january-2019-19120251
 
I would like to see the split of dealer sales and rental sales.
Who sells through dealers cars and who dumps cars into rental companies.
I suspect that Nissan and Renault sales are to rental companies.
Remember that those rental sales eventually find their way back into sales at huge discount prices. These sales certainly affect the values of used car values.
 
Biggest vehicle-exporters from SA in January 2019

Naamsa said South Africa’s export vehicle sales started the year on a relatively strong note, with January 2019 seeing 18 289 vehicles shipped from the country’s shores. This represents a substantial improvement of 4 160 units or a gain of 29,4 percent, year on year.

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

Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz plummeted from first to sixth place, with just 443 units exported from its East London plant in January. This represents a fall of 8 834 units month-on-month, thanks to the factory being closed for much of January to “allow for plant refurbishment”.

The Volkswagen Group, meanwhile, jumped four places to snatch first, exporting 5 749 examples (up 2 526 units) of its Polo hatchback from Uitenhage. The BMW Group climbed two to second spot, with its Rosslyn plant churning out 3 927 examples of the X3 for foreign markets, representing an improvement of 279 units compared with the preceding month.

Toyota held steady in third with an export figure of 3 740, including 3 508 examples of its Hilux, 126 units of the Fortuner, 99 vehicles from its Corolla/Quest line (all built at its Prospecton factory) and seven vehicles from its Hino trucks division. This total is down 1 662 units on the Japanese firm’s effort in December.

Ford, meanwhile, fell two places to fourth, shipping off 3 684 units (comprising 3 667 units of the Ranger and 17 of the Everest) from its Silverton facility in the month. This represents a hefty fall of 5 525 units after a particularly strong December.

Nissan climbed one place to fifth on the back of Mercedes-Benz’s fall, increasing its exports by 60 units to 462 (made up of 461 Hardbody units and a single NP200). Isuzu fell by 44 units to total just 97 (including 17 examples of the KB bakkie, 75 wearing the D-Max badge, four MU-X models and a single N-Series truck) to again settle for seventh.

For reference, see December 2018’s list here…

Biggest exporters for January 2019:

1. Volkswagen Group: 5 749
2. BMW Group: 3 927
3. Toyota: 3 740
4. Ford Motor Company: 3 684
5. Nissan: 462
6. Mercedes-Benz: 443
7. Isuzu: 97

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/biggest-vehicle-exporters-sa-january-2019/
 
And the World's Most Popular car is

Bakkies might be more popular than any car in South Africa, but global trends show that the world still favours a more traditional vehicle configuration.
The world’s most popular vehicle is not a bakkie or SUV. With comprehensive sales data from 2018 finally collated and verified, Toyota’s Corolla has been classified as the most in-demand car of all.

Ford’s F-Series bakkie finished as the second most popular vehicle, an achievement made even more credible by the fact that it is essentially only sold in the North American market – whereas Corolla is a true global product, sold in a multitude of geographies.

Statistically, Corolla sold 1 181 445 units, with Ford delivering 1 080 757 F-Series bakkies to new customers last year. These two models were the only vehicles to sell in excess of a million units each.

The top ten list of most prevalent automotive products is dominated by Toyota, Honda and VW. Rav4 ranked third and Camry ninth, whilst Honda occupied fourth (Civic) and seventh (CR-V). VW’s Tiguan and Golf were fifth and sixth, with Polo eighth. Only one other bakkie, besides F-Series, ranked in the top ten most sold vehicles for 2018, and that was Chevrolet’s Silverado.

In a world where product development and marketing strategy is anchored by a mission to serve bakkie and SUV demand, these global sales numbers tell a very different story. The presence of Camry, Corolla, Civic, Golf and Polo making up half of the most popular top ten vehicles, illustrate that the market is telling a truth very different from what product planners are strategizing.

Top 10 best-selling cars in the world 2018

1. Toyota Corolla
1 181 445
2. Ford F-Series
1 080 757
3. Toyota RAV4
837 624
4. Honda Civic
823 169
5. Volkswagen Tiguan
791 275
6. Volkswagen Golf
789 519
7. Honda CR-V
747 646
8. Volkswagen Polo
725 463
9. Toyota Camry
661 383
10. Chevrolet Silverado
651 090

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/and-the-worlds-most-popular-car-is/46068/
 
asshat99 said:
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/ar...r-recovery-to-4-000-units-in-2019-2019-02-12/

FCA thinks they can sell "reasonably 4000" cars per annum in SA. Sold 159 in Jan. lol.

I guess the "italian-passion-whatever-that-does" value proposition is not so compelling here.
Click to expand...
Probably will if they advertise their vehicles and get people to sit in them - so far I haven't seen or heard an advert from them besides the odd deals their dealerships have.

Also have to agree with thechamp, they have some pretty decent offerings.
 
We’re here to stay, says Fiat Chrysler Automobiles SA

The CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles South Africa says the group – which runs the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep brands locally – is “here to stay”, setting itself a target of registering some 4 000 units in 2019.

Speaking to Engineering News, boss Graham Eagle said “achieving over 4 000 units is a reasonable target”. In the first month of 2019, however, FCA SA registered just 188 units.

“We need to get the public to realise that we are here to stay. Our biggest challenge is to get our volume up and for the brand to be recognised for the quality and good value it offers,” he said.

Eagle, who moved into the FCA role from Honda at the end of July 2018, said the group had many new products launching locally in 2019, including an expansion of the Stelvio range (yes, the flagship Quadrifoglio variant as well), an updated Giulia, more choice in the Compass line-up, a facelifted Renegade, an updated Grand Cherokee and the new Wrangler.

“We have now been transformed into a lean company with a new approach to sales and marketing and a clarity on the direction in which we are heading,” he told the publication.

Eagle furthermore confirmed to Engineering News that Alfa had plans to launch two new SUVs – one on either side of the Stelvio – “in the next three to four years”.

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/stay-says-fiat-chrysler-automobiles-sa/
 
FiestaST said:
And the World's Most Popular car is

Bakkies might be more popular than any car in South Africa, but global trends show that the world still favours a more traditional vehicle configuration.
The world’s most popular vehicle is not a bakkie or SUV. With comprehensive sales data from 2018 finally collated and verified, Toyota’s Corolla has been classified as the most in-demand car of all.

Ford’s F-Series bakkie finished as the second most popular vehicle, an achievement made even more credible by the fact that it is essentially only sold in the North American market – whereas Corolla is a true global product, sold in a multitude of geographies.

Statistically, Corolla sold 1 181 445 units, with Ford delivering 1 080 757 F-Series bakkies to new customers last year. These two models were the only vehicles to sell in excess of a million units each.

The top ten list of most prevalent automotive products is dominated by Toyota, Honda and VW. Rav4 ranked third and Camry ninth, whilst Honda occupied fourth (Civic) and seventh (CR-V). VW’s Tiguan and Golf were fifth and sixth, with Polo eighth. Only one other bakkie, besides F-Series, ranked in the top ten most sold vehicles for 2018, and that was Chevrolet’s Silverado.

In a world where product development and marketing strategy is anchored by a mission to serve bakkie and SUV demand, these global sales numbers tell a very different story. The presence of Camry, Corolla, Civic, Golf and Polo making up half of the most popular top ten vehicles, illustrate that the market is telling a truth very different from what product planners are strategizing.

Top 10 best-selling cars in the world 2018

1. Toyota Corolla
1 181 445
2. Ford F-Series
1 080 757
3. Toyota RAV4
837 624
4. Honda Civic
823 169
5. Volkswagen Tiguan
791 275
6. Volkswagen Golf
789 519
7. Honda CR-V
747 646
8. Volkswagen Polo
725 463
9. Toyota Camry
661 383
10. Chevrolet Silverado
651 090

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/and-the-worlds-most-popular-car-is/46068/
Click to expand...

Having owned and enjoyed two Hondas so far in my life it is interesting to note that globally they have 2 models in the top 10 best sellers (Civic outsells Golf?!) yet here in RSA they don't even have a single model appearing in the top 50 sales list for January 2019. They manage this even with having budget models such as the Brio / Amaze available.
What the eff have the local team been doing here? Based on the apparent decline of this leading brand in RSA I'm not sure I have much confidence in the fortunes of FCA since they are now under the leadership of the former Honda boss.
 
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