The SA Vehicle Industry Thread

SA's 10 best-selling passenger cars of March 2019

According to Naamsa, March 2019's new vehicle industry sales came in at 47 718 units, representing a fall of 3,1 percent, year on year. Here’s what happened in the third 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.

Take note that while BMW has started reporting individual model sales figures again, some brands such as German rival Mercedes-Benz continue to provide only aggregate data (Porsche, too, recently followed suit).

So, what happened in March 2019? Well, as we pointed out last month, there has been some change to the way figures are reported. Volkswagen, for instance, is now separating its Polo hatchback and sedan figures, while Toyota no longer reports an overall number for the Corolla, Auris and Corolla Quest, instead breaking them up into individual models.

Anyway, back to March. VW’s Polo Vivo remained in top spot, with the Polo hatch in second place (for the record, the local arm of the German firm also sold 353 examples of its Polo Sedan). The Renault Kwid, meanwhile, retained third place, but had to share it with the Toyota Corolla Sedan (up from ninth the previous month).

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

1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2 498
2. Volkswagen Polo – 1 383
3=. Renault Kwid – 1 081
3=. Toyota Corolla Sedan – 1 081
5. Hyundai Grand i10 – 1 030
6. Toyota Fortuner – 954
7. Ford EcoSport – 868
8. Toyota Etios – 755
9. Ford Figo – 722
10. Toyota RAV4 – 715

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/industry-news/sas-10-best-selling-passenger-cars-of-march-2019/
 
asshat99 said:
FCA managed a whole 109 passenger vehicles and 38 CVs in Feb. Meaning in past two months, they have sold HALF the amount they "reasonably" should.

Why do they hire these coked up managers who clearly have no clue at all? Was their silly pronouncement meant to impress the buyers?
Click to expand...
Still at 50 % for the quarter. 50 % of the totally "reasonable" target. FCA management's coked up idea? An overnight sale!
"Honey, it is 3 am. We have been drinking all night. Let's go buy a fiat!"

Everyone having a field day with luxury SUVs, except FCA who manages to sell only a handful of Stelvios every month (2 in Feb lol). Who would be stupid enough to give them R2.2M for a trailhawk?
 
SA's 15 worst-selling cars (under R500k) of March 2019

Of course, we must point out that some 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). And we’ve also heeded the call to include model ranges that failed to sell a single unit.

So, what happened in the third month of 2019? Well, there were again no buyers for the Nissan NV200, while just one Ford Focus (still listed on Ford SA’s website, despite the impending arrival of the new model) was registered. The facelifted Toyota Prius managed three units, while the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Mini Convertible and Suzuki Grand Vitara mustered four apiece.

Subaru sold five examples of its Impreza and Jeep six of its Renegade, while the Landwind X5 and Suzuki Jimny (the latter seemingly here because of a supply issue) each managed seven units. The Abarth 595 ended the month on eight units and was matched by the Opel Adam, while the Fiat 500X and Opel Grandland X finished on nine each. The Fiat Panda rounded out the table with 10 units.

SA's 15 worst-selling passenger cars (under R500k) of March 2019

Nissan NV200 – 0
Ford Focus – 1
Toyota Prius – 3
Alfa Romeo Giulietta – 4
Mini Convertible – 4
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 4
Subaru Impreza – 5
Jeep Renegade – 6
Landwind X5 – 7
Suzuki Jimny – 7
Abarth 595 – 8
Opel Adam – 8
Fiat 500X – 9
Opel Grandland X – 9
Fiat Panda – 10

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/industry-news/sas-15-worst-selling-cars-under-r500k-of-march-2019/
 
SA car sales: Polo Vivo, Kwid, Grand i10 best-sellers in March

Volkswagen continued its run at the top of the sales charts for passenger cars when the Polo Vivo occupied the top slot, again.

The Polo Vivo was the best-selling passenger car during March 2019 with a solid sales figure of 2498 units. It was followed by the Toyota Corolla with 1723 units. The Vivo’s bigger sibling, the Polo, slots into third place with 1383 units.

Ooh, Kwid

Renault’s budget-beating Kwid retains fourth position on the charts with a sales figure of 1081, staving off a strong challenge from the Hyundai Grandi10 (1030) in fifth.

Toyota’s Fortuner did not surpass its customary 1000-unit mark and had to settle for 954 units in sixth.

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_...kwid-grand-i10-best-sellers-in-march-20190402

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Biggest vehicle-exporters from SA in March 2019

According to Naamsa, the South African automotive industry’s March 2019 export sales number represented “another admirable performance”, with 37 296 vehicles shipped off during the month. This represents a substantial improvement of 7 135 units or a gain of 23,7 percent compared with the same month in 2018.

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

In March, Mercedes-Benz returned to first place (after finding itself in fifth in February), with a whopping 11 837 units of the C-Class exported from its East London plant. This represents a substantial increase of 7 248 units, month on month.

Biggest exporters for March 2019

1. Mercedes-Benz: 11 837
2. Volkswagen Group: 9 571
3. BMW Group: 5 276
4. Toyota: 5 220
5. Ford Motor Company: 4 193
6. Nissan: 864
7. Isuzu: 246

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/industry-news/biggest-vehicle-exporters-from-sa-in-march-2019/
 
Which cars have the best resale value?

Do you want to buy a car with an outstanding resale value? You will be very surprised to see which cars perform best in the resale stakes in South Africa…

The best car in the country – in terms of resale value – is the Renault Kwid! This has been revealed by Darryl Jacobson, managing director of True Price, who adds that many of the cars with terrific resale values may well come as a surprise.

True Price has data pertaining to thousands of vehicles sold on auction on its system. This data is utilised to provide free vehicle evaluations to South African motorists. An analysis of this data has revealed some extremely interesting findings, as Jacobson explains. “In order to determine which passenger cars have the best resale value, we analysed all our data and came up with a list of the top 10 cars. This list is based on actual prices achieved on auction. The figures pertain to the percentage of original selling price that has been achieved on auction,” he explains.

Assuming that you follow Jacobson’s advice (and heed the importance of resale value), these are the cars that should be on your shopping list:

1. Renault Kwid

According to Jacobson, this is a cheap and cheerful little runabout, which is faring well in terms of new car sales too. “South Africans are more budget conscious than ever before. And, when shopping on a budget, the Kwid has to be a consideration,” he says.

2. Toyota Etios

According to Jacobson, Toyota is constantly top of the resale pops. “The Etios – which comes in hatchback, sedan and a crossover-inspired ‘Cross’ guise – is no exception. It is reliable and it is supported by a massive dealer network,” he comments.

3. Volkswagen Polo

Jacobson describes the Polo as “a South African icon” and he points out that this vehicle is massively popular in both the new and used vehicle market.

4. Kia Picanto

The Picanto is a terrific little city car that has a decent interior, good road manners and attractive styling. “Running costs are reasonably low too and it comes with a comforting five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. These factors have combined to make it a sought-after vehicle,” says Jacobson.

5. Kia Rio

The Kia Rio is one of the most popular hatches in South Africa. Jacobson maintains that Kia is favoured by used car buyers because of its design. “This can be attributed to Peter Schreyer, who joined Kia in 2006 as its head of design. He took the brand which, until then, had been a budget vehicle through and through, and transformed it into a highly desirable commodity. Kia has also been the recipient of numerous quality accolades, and this sits well with both new and used car buyers,” he notes.

6. Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Solid, quiet, well-built and offering a brilliant ride, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a real quality act. “It is also extremely safe, as reflected by the fact that it recently won the Best Safety Award at the 2019 What Car? Car of the Year awards. It is also a finalist in the 2019 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year,” Jacobson points out.

7. Volkswagen Golf

The benchmark in its sector, the Golf is a perennial favourite of South African motorists. “It is a premium vehicle that is safe, superbly built, spacious and elegant. It’s one of those vehicles that has been extraordinarily popular for decades, and its popularity shows no sign of waning,” comments Jacobson.

8. Datsun Go

The Go is yet another budget car and Jacobson says that, much like the Kwid, it is proving very popular amongst new and used car buyers. “Since late last year, when driver and passenger airbags and ABS were made standard across the entire range, the Go has become an even more enticing proposition,” he comments.

9. Volkswagen Up

Jacobson says that the Up is a desirable and stylish city car, and this is reflected in the vehicle’s resale value. “With many cars in this price range, one needs to lower expectations. Not with the Up. Is it inexpensive? Yes. But, in this case, cheap is most definitely not nasty,” he contends.

10. Mercedes-Benz C Class

Jacobson says he was not surprised to see the C-Class fare well. “It has long been extremely desirable in the used car market. It is always hard to say why any car fares well in the second-hand market; it is thanks to many factors – from running costs and dealer service to supply and demand. However the C-Class is normally snapped up really fast on auction,” he reveals.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/cars/renault/which-cars-have-the-best-resale-value-20611679
 
Toyota sells more than 4000 Hilux models

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) reports that out of the 11 795 units it sold in March 2019, a total of 4 252 were Hilux models.

While overall industry sales have continued to decline this year, Toyota sales have been on a steady trajectory. At 47 718, domestic sales for March have contracted by 3.1% compared to the same month last year when a total of 49 230 vehicles were sold.

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM, Calvyn Hamman, says: “March was one of the most successful months for the current-generation Hilux. The Hilux, and the slight growth in the LCV market, seem to be bucking the trend considering that the local economy is under duress at the moment. However, customers understand that Toyota – famed for its quality, durable and reliable products – is a brand for every season and has excellent resale value.”

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) reported that out of the industry sales of 47 718, an estimated 41 235 units sold or 86.4% represented dealer sales, an estimated 6.6% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 4.3% to government and 2.7% to industry corporate fleets

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/toyota-sells-more-than-4000-hilux-models-20611533
 
https://www.carmag.co.za/news/industry-news/nissan-sa-has-absolutely-no-plans-to-scrap-np200-np300/

Nissan SA has 'absolutely no plans' to scrap NP200, NP300...

Published by Ryan Bubear on 11.04.2019



The head of Nissan Group of Africa says the local arm of the Japanese firm has “absolutely no plans” to discontinue its NP200 or NP300 bakkies.

Mike Whitfield, managing director for the Nissan Group of Africa, was speaking to journalists after the automaker announced a fresh R3-billion investment in its South African operations, with the Navara set to start rolling off the Rosslyn production line – alongside the NP200 half-tonne bakkie and NP300 Hardbody – in 2020.

“Last month, I think we sold over two thousand NP200s and nearly a thousand NP300s. That demand carries on. So, very clearly, we have absolutely no plans to discontinue those,” Whitfield said.
 
BMW vs. Mercedes-Benz: global first-quarter sales revealed

The global sales figures for the first quarter of 2019 are in, with the Mercedes-Benz brand keeping its nose ahead of BMW as the world’s best-selling premium marque.

In the first three months of the year, the Mercedes-Benz brand sold 560 873 units, down some 5,6 percent year-on-year. The BMW brand, meanwhile, grew 0,4 percent in the same period, reaching 519 307 units. Whip out your calculator and you’ll see that puts BMW some 41 566 units behind its Stuttgart-based rival.

Of course, the picture changes somewhat when we examine the respective groups, as opposed to brands. Here, Mercedes-Benz Cars (which includes the Smart brand) hit a total of 587 921 sales, while the BMW Group (including the Mini, Rolls-Royce and Motorrad brands) reached 605 333 sales. In this case, the Munich-based group finds itself 17 412 units ahead, thanks largely to its performance in March 2019, which represented its best-ever single sales month.

Anyway, on to a handful of other interesting figures. In the first quarter of 2019, Mercedes-Benz says it sold 67 077 compact vehicles, with sales of the A-Class increasing by 25,6 percent over the three-month period. And the C-Class? Well, the mid-size sedan accounted for 105 708 units.

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/indus...des-benz-global-first-quarter-sales-revealed/
 
Good news for SA! Rise in local car sales a 'welcome surprise' - Naamsa

"The latest vehicle sales reflected a welcome surprise," reports the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa as more than 36 000 units were sold in April 2019.

Naamsa said: "The declining trend in the new vehicle market since the beginning of the year came to a halt in April 2019."

Domestic sales at 36 794 units showed an improvement of 266 units or 0.7% compared to the 36 528 vehicles sold in April 2018. Export sales had again registered strong growth reflecting a substantial improvement of 11 571 vehicles or a gain of 53.8% compared to the 21 519 vehicles exported in April last year.

Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 36 794 vehicles, an estimated 31 945 units or 86.8%represented dealer sales, an estimated 6.5% represented sales to the vehicle rental Industry, 4.1% to industry corporate fleets and 2.6% to government.

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SA_...-car-sales-a-welcome-surprise-naamsa-20190502

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South Africa's 10 best-selling bakkies of April 2019

The sales figures for April 2019 are in … and some 776 units separate the top two vehicles as the battle for the title of South Africa’s best-selling bakkie continues.

According to Naamsa, April’s new vehicle industry sales came in at 36 794 units, representing an increase of 0,7 percent, year on year. The light commercial segment (9 810 units), however, showed a fall of 8,1 percent compared with the corresponding month in 2018.

So, what exactly happened in terms of bakkie sales in the fourth month of 2019?

Well, the Toyota Hilux remained at the top of the table, with the Ford Ranger again having to settle for second place (after the first four months of 2019, the Japanese bakkie finds itself a full 4 178 units ahead of its Blue Oval rival).

Meanwhile, the Isuzu D-Max (having late in 2018 switched from the KB badge) moved up one place to third (its final figure comprised 1 158 units of the D-Max and 84 units of the KB). The Nissan NP200 thus fell one spot to fourth, ahead of the Nissan NP300/Hardbody in fifth.

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

1. Toyota Hilux – 2 411
2. Ford Ranger – 1 635
3. Isuzu KB/D-Max – 1 242
4. Nissan NP200 – 715
5. Nissan NP300/Hardbody – 515
6. Mahindra Pik-Up – 208
7. Nissan Navara – 177
8. GWM Steed – 156
9. Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up – 139
10. Volkswagen Amarok – 115

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/industry-news/south-africas-10-best-selling-bakkies-of-april-2019/
 
Huge drop for the Nissan Np200 from the previous month. Supply issues or lack of demand.
 
Why SA car sales aren't speeding up despite slower inflation

The South African car market came under renewed pressure in the first quarter of 2019, with the latest TransUnion SA Vehicle Pricing Index (VPI) falling for the seventh consecutive quarter as the effects of fuel hikes, challenging economic conditions and electricity outages caused by load-shedding took their toll.

New vehicle sales fell nearly 10 percent compared to the same period a year ago, with the total number of vehicles financed - including used vehicles - down 8 percent for the first three months of the year, according to the TransUnion VPI report.

We caught up with TransUnion’s head of automotive operations, Kriben Reddy, to unpack this decline, which has broad ramifications for the entire economy, as the automotive industry contributes an estimated 7.7 percent to South Africa’s annual GDP.

Sales down

Reddy notes that the reduction in sales was in spite of the VPI for new and used vehicle pricing falling to 2.3 percent and 1.8 percent in Q1 2019 respectively, from 2.3 percent and 3 percent in Q1 2018.

The Index measures the relationship between the increase in vehicle pricing for new and used vehicles from a basket of passenger vehicles, and the lower score effectively means that car prices are increasing more slowly than inflation, which currently stands at 4.1 percent.

But it’s not all bad news for the South African automotive industry. “While domestic sales are progressively dropping, exports are on the rise: showing strong growth of 29.5 percent year-on-year in January, 22.5 percent in February, and 23.7 percent in March. Still, it might not be enough for the industry to reverse its decline by the end of the year,” Reddy expounds.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...speeding-up-despite-slower-inflation-22348895
 
A quick glance at sales of passenger vehicles by OEM tells me that some dealers are going to get crapped on.
For instance:
Honda sold 744 in March and only 363 in April.
Volvo sold 224 in March and 167 in April.
Kia sold 1200 in March and 886 in April
Toyota 11796 vs 8488
Nissan 5417 vs 3124

There must be plenty of red ink on the Income Statements of dealers and OEMs.
 
Whilst there is some song and dance about the fact that April 2019 sales were more than April 2018 an important factor is not mentioned.

Vat increased to 15% and also an increase of other taxes with effect 1st April 2018 and this caused more purchases in March 2018 in order to preempt the price increase.
March 2018 = 49233
April 2018 = 36346
April 2019 = 36794
 
SA's 10 best-selling passenger cars of April 2019

According to Naamsa, April 2019's new vehicle industry sales came in at 36 794 units, representing an increase of 0,7 percent, year on year. Here’s what happened in the fourth 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.

Take note that while BMW has started reporting individual model sales figures again, some brands such as German rival Mercedes-Benz continue to provide only aggregate data (Porsche, too, recently followed suit).

So, what happened in April 2019? Well, Volkswagen Polo Vivo remained in top spot, with the Polo hatch again in second place (for the record, the local arm of the German firm also sold 235 examples of its Polo Sedan). These, however, were the only two models to make it into four figures.

Toyota’s RAV4, meanwhile, rocketed seven places up the table to grab third place, just ahead of the Toyota Fortuner in fourth (itself climbing two places). The Ford EcoSport moved up two spots to fifth, while the Toyota Etios climbed the same number of places to sixth.

The Hyundai Grand i10 dropped two to seventh, with the Renault Kwid plummeting five to eighth. The Datsun Go returned to the table to grab ninth, while the outgoing Renault Clio also made a reappearance to snaffle the final spot on the list.

So, what else interesting happened in April? Well, the new 3 Series (354) led the way for BMW, with the locally built X3 next on 170 units. Just eight examples of the new 8 Series were registered, along with 12 units of the box-fresh Z4. Twelve units of the all-electric BMW i3 were registered in April, along with five examples of the Jaguar I-Pace.

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

1. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 2 350
2. Volkswagen Polo – 1 165
3. Toyota RAV4 – 839
4. Toyota Fortuner – 816
5. Ford EcoSport – 742
6. Toyota Etios – 719
7. Hyundai Grand i10 – 718
8. Renault Kwid – 472
9. Datsun Go – 453
10. Renault Clio – 452

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/industry-news/sas-10-best-selling-passenger-cars-of-april-2019/
 
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