The new vehicle market is showing no real signs of turning the corner, with November having seen another gloomy sales month. According to Naamsa, new vehicle sales slid 9.6 percent year-on-year to just 46 413 units.
There was a silver lining on the light commercial vehicle front however, with LCV sales actually improving by one percent compared to the same month last year, although medium and heavy vehicles saw declines of 18.7 percent and 17.1 percent respectively. Passenger car sales fell by a worrying 13.8 percent year-on-year, although one wonders if some of those buyers aren't simply migrating to double cabs.
On that note, the Ford Ranger enjoyed a particularly strong month, outselling the Toyota Hilux by over 1000 units - 3680 versus 2492. Another notable performer was Renault's Kwid, which surged to 15th place overall in its first sales month, with 519 units sold.
It's not surprising that buyers are moving towards more affordable options, given the weak economy and the short to medium term outlook remains challenging, according to Naamsa.
"Double digit new vehicle price inflation, pressure on household disposable incomes, low levels of consumer and business confidence and relatively high interest rates represented a negative environment for new vehicle sales," the association stated.
Exports were strong though, improving 12.1 percent year-on-year to 28 113 units, and Naamsa expects the momentum to continue into 2017.
THE NUMBERS: NOVEMBER 2016
Sales Channels
Dealerships: 83.1 percent
Rental industry: 8.5 percent
Corporate clients: 3.6 percent
Government sales: 4.8 percent
Top Companies
1. Toyota - 10 088
2. Ford - 7245
3. Volkswagen - 6197
4. AMH/AAD - 4638
5. Nissan - 4557
6. GMSA/Isuzu - 3577
7. Mercedes-Benz - 1907
8. Renault - 1766
9. BMW - 1447
10. Mazda - 903
Top 100 Reported Sales*
1. Ford Ranger - 3680
2. Toyota Hilux - 2492
3. Volkswagen Polo - 1762
4. Toyota Corolla/Quest/Auris - 1746
5. Chevrolet Utility - 1670
6. Volkswagen Polo Vivo - 1649
7. Toyota Quantum - 1518
8. Nissan NP300 Hardbody - 1493
9. Nissan NP200 - 1311
10. Toyota Fortuner - 1135
11. Ford Fiesta - 1130
12. Isuzu KB - 1041
13. Toyota Etios - 1006
14. Ford EcoSport - 908
15. Renault Kwid - 519
16. Datsun Go - 484
17. Toyota Rav4 - 462
18. Nissan Almera - 448
19. BMW 3 Series - 447
20. Toyota Avanza - 420
21. Volkswagen Amarok - 397
22. Ford Everest - 359
23. Toyota Land Cruiser PU - 356
24. Ford Figo - 345
25. Renault Captur - 337
26. Ford Focus - 331
27. Mazda CX-5 - 279
28. Renault Clio - 278
29. Nissan X-Trail - 267
30. Mazda3 - 252
31. Nissan NV350 Taxi - 250
32. Volkswagen Golf - 241
33. Volkswagen Caddy - 224
34. Volkswagen Jetta - 217
35. Audi A3 - 216
36. Renault Sandero - 211
37. Audi A4 - 207
38. Ford Kuga - 199
39. Volkswagen Tiguan - 183
40. Suzuki Swift - 180
41. Renault Duster - 179
42. Mazda2 - 177
43. Toyota Yaris - 165
44. Honda Jazz - 160
45. Audi A1 - 153
46. Chevrolet Spark - 148
47. Volkswagen Up - 144
48. Mazda CX-3 - 142
48. Nissan Qashqai - 142
50. BMW 4 Series - 141
51. Audi Q3 - 126
51. Honda BR-V - 126
53. Honda CR-V - 122
53. Mitsubishi ASX - 122
55. Renault Kadjar - 121
56. Volkswagen Kombi - 120
57. BMW X1 - 118
58. BMW 2 Series - 117
59. BMW X5 - 111
60. Honda Ballade - 109
61. BMW X3 - 108
62. Toyota Aygo - 106
63. Datsun Go+ - 102
64. BMW 1 Series - 97
65.Jeep Renegade - 92
65. Mahindra KUV100 - 92
67. Toyota Land Cruiser 200 - 91
68. Toyota Prado - 90
69. Ford Transit - 87
70. Suzuki Jimny - 85
71. Honda HR-V - 81
72. Mini Hatch 3dr - 78
73. Honda Brio - 75
73. Opel Astra - 75
75. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up - 73
76. Porsche Cayenne - 70
77. Mahindra Bolero - 68
78. Renault Megane IV - 67
78. Volkswagen Polo Vivo PV - 67
80. Chevrolet Trailblazer - 64
81. Mini Hatch 5dr - 62
82. Land Rover Disco Sport - 61
83. Ford Mustang - 60
84. Range Rover Evoque - 59
84. Range Rover Sport - 59
86. Ford Tourneo Connect - 58
87. Jeep Wrangler - 56
88. Audi Q5 - 54
88. Tata Super Ace - 54
90. Volkswagen Transporter CB - 54
91. Land Rover Discovery - 52
91. Opel Corsa - 52
93. Jeep Grand Cherokee - 51
94. Suzuki Celerio - 50
95. Chevrolet Captiva - 47
95. Mazda BT-50 - 47
97. Suzuki Ertiga - 46
98. Opel Mokka - 44
99. Ford Transit Connect - 43
100. Mahindra Scorpio - 42
100. Peugeot 208 - 42
101. Opel Adam - 41
102. BMW X4 - 40
102. Tata Bolt - 40
*List excludes non-reporters such as Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Kia and GWM.