Johannesburg - South Africa’s new vehicle market shifted to a state of marginal growth in March, with overall sales increasing 1.1 percent year-on-year, however this has largely been attributed to pre-emptive buying ahead of April’s triple tax punch that saw government increase VAT, ad valorem and emissions penalties.
It was passenger vehicles sold through the dealer channels that saw the biggest gain last month (8.8 percent year-on-year), while rental sales took a 14.9 percent knock, reportedly due to seasonal factors.
Light commercial vehicle sales were down 2.3 percent overall, although they were up 1.3 percent through the dealer channel.
WesBank’s marketing head Ghana Msibi said: “Following the budget speech indicating an increase in VAT and ad valorem tax from 1 April, it is our view that consumers opted to avoid the increases these factors will have on vehicle purchase prices. These, combined with the renewed consumer and business confidence, and a reduction in the repo rate contributed to the growth in the passenger car segment.”
Both WesBank and Naamsa are anticipating a total market growth of around three percent this year.
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Medium term prospects for South Africa’s economy have improved considerably on the back of Moody’s decision to retain the country’s credit ratings at investment grade, with an upgraded stable outlook, Naamsa said.
Furthermore, the association expects the current rand strength to keep new car price inflation at bay, while improved business and consumer confidence would result in economic growth, ultimately translating into improved vehicle sales.
Top sellers in March
Volkswagen’s new Polo Vivo range gathered full sales steam in March, romping to the top of South Africa’s passenger vehicle sales charts, while the NEW Polo tapered off from 2847 units to 2121.
Another notable performer was Renault’s Kwid (up from 582 to 856), while Hyundai’s Grand i10 range - which recently became more affordable with the addition of a 1-litre model - put on another strong 1000+ unit performance.
Volkswagen’s Tiguan once again upset the C-segment SUV applecart, topping the chart with 525 sales, while Nissan’s recently facelifted Qashqai and X-Trail both put in strong 400+ performances, pushing the usual front-runners - Toyota’s Rav4 and Hyundai’s Tucson - to third and fifth respectively.
Below we’ve listed the 12 best sellers in eight of the key segments. Keep in mind that Mercedes-Benz vehicles are excluded from the list as the company does not report individual sales figures.
Budget Hatch/Sedan
VW Polo Vivo 2736Hyundai Grand i10 1032Renault Kwid 856Kia Picanto 789Toyota Etios 696Datsun Go 610Hyundai i10 516Nissan Micra396Ford Figo 370Renault Sandero294Suzuki Swift 279Volkswagen Up150
Compact Hatch/Sedan
VW Polo 2121Toyota Yaris664Ford Fiesta 477Toyota Avanza 425Renault Clio 422Nissan Almera 403Kia Rio355Honda Jazz 199Mazda2 174Hyundai Accent 143Opel Corsa 128Honda Ballade104
Compact-Medium Hatch/Sedan
Toyota Corolla/Quest/Auris 1189VW Golf 381Ford Focus 286Audi A3 279Mazda3240BMW 1 Series169VW Jetta 147Hyundai Elantra 141Volvo V40 46Opel Astra 31Kia Cerato28Honda Civic24
Executive Sedan/Coupe
BMW 3-Series570Audi A4110BMW 5 Series87BMW 4 Series80Ford Mustang56Audi A555Lexus ES19Volkswagen Passat14Porsche Panamera11
Compact SUV/Crossover
Ford Ecosport 813Hyundai Creta 413Mazda CX-3 349Suzuki Ignis 290Renault Duster 186Honda HR-V122Renault Captur 120Suzuki Jimny 115Suzuki Vitara 69Mahindra KUV 66Jeep Renegade 55GWM M449Opel Crossland X49
Compact-Medium SUV/Crossover
VW Tiguan 525Nissan Qashqai 489Toyota Rav4 463Nissan X-Trail 444Hyundai Tucson 400Mazda CX-5 378Honda BR-V277BMW X1224Kia Sportage 181Jaguar E-Pace136Ford Kuga 119Honda CR-V 114
Large SUV/Crossover
Toyota Fortuner 1274Ford Everest 559Toyota Land Cruiser200136BMW X5171Range Rover Sport147Toyota Prado 119Land Rover Discovery 94Range Rover Velar72Jeep Wrangler65Mahindra XUV64Jeep Grand Cherokee 52Volvo XC9039
Bakkie
Toyota Hilux 3825Ford Ranger 2753Nissan NP200 1562Isuzu KB 1273Nissan NP300 Hardbody 745Nissan Navara447Hyundai H100 Bakkie 285Toyota Landcruiser PU 262Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up 196VW Amarok 176GWM Steed 163Mazda BT-50 98
TOP COMPANIES
Toyota11 378Volkswagen7541Ford5595Nissan5410Hyundai3065Mercedes-Benz2379Renault1904BMW1713Isuzu1581Kia1517Mazda1246Suzuki1012