AUTOMART AFRICA - AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY DIRECTORY | KENYA | TANZANIA | ETHIOPIA

Johannesburg - Holding up well under the circumstances would be the best way to describe South Africa's vehicle sales figures for the past few months and the most recent numbers, released by Lightstone Auto, showed a 1.4 percent year-on-year slip last month.

South Africans bought 55 722 vehicles in August, with 79.8 percent taking place through the dealers while 13.1 percent went to the rental industry, 3.6 percent to corporate fleets and 3.5 percent were snapped up by government.

While passenger vehicle sales fell by 2.7 percent compared by August last year, the light commercial segment enjoyed a 2.1 percent gain. It was a mixed bag for the heavier commercials, with the MCV market declining by 3.5 percent and the HCVs posting a 0.1 percent gain.

Export sales proved to be a proper silver lining in August, with an 18.5 percent year-on-year gain to 21 116 units. With new C-Class production gaining momentum, global economies improving and production numbers recovering from the recent industry labour unrest, South Africa's export picture is likely to get even rosier.

The weak rand is sure to help that too, although it's certainly not going to do local car prices any favours.

These above-inflation price increases are seen as a major hindrance to the market, along with slow economic growth and rising interest rates.

Naamsa predicts that the vehicle market will decline by between four and five percent this year - with the year-to-date sales deficit currently sitting at 4.3 percent. However, this would still mean a total sales figure of around 620 000 units, which is relatively high in historical terms.

TOP COMPANIES - AUGUST 2014

1. Toyota - 10 949

2. Volkswagen - 8617

3. Ford - 6778

4. AMH/AAD - 6148

5. General Motors - 5723

6. Nissan - 4142

7. Mercedes-Benz - 2839

8. BMW - 2744

9. Renault - 1432

10. Honda - 1010

TOP 50 SELLERS - AUGUST 2014

1. Toyota Hilux - 3238

2. VW Polo Vivo - 2756

3. Ford Ranger - 2312

4. VW Polo - 2267

5. Toyota Corolla/Auris/Quest - 1928

6. Nissan NP200 - 1553

7. Toyota Etios - 1502

8. Chevrolet Utility - 1368

9. Toyota Quantum - 1272

10. BMW 3 Series - 1212

11. Ford Figo - 1181

12. Isuzu KB - 1166

13. Mercedes C-Class - 1082

14. Toyota Fortuner - 959

15. Nissan NP300 - 897

16. Ford Fiesta - 887

17. Chevrolet Spark - 873

18. Ford EcoSport - 800

19. Chevrolet Aveo - 655

20. VW Golf - 590

21. Ford Kuga - 540

22. Audi A3 - 458

23. BMW 1 Series - 452

24. Toyota RAV4 - 427

25. Nissan Qashqai - 417

26. Renault Sandero II - 411

27. Audi A4 - 395

28. Renault Clio - 394

29. Ford Focus - 361

30. Toyota Avanza - 353

31. Mazda BT-50 - 348

32. Renault Duster - 334

33. Chevrolet Cruze - 300

33. Honda Brio - 300

35. Chevrolet Sonic - 297

36. VW Jetta - 290

37. Nissan Almera - 289

38. VW Tiguan - 264

39. VW Amarok - 262

40. Honda Jazz - 256

41. BMW 4 Series - 243

42. Opel Corsa - 224

43. Toyota Land Cruiser PU - 222

44. Ford Ikon - 214

44. Jeep Grand Cherokee - 214

46. Audi A1 - 207

47. Mercedes M-Class - 202

48. Honda CR-V - 195

48. Mercedes B-Class - 195

50. Suzuki Swift - 192

*Hyundai/Kia supply aggregate figures only and thus could not be included in this list.

TOP EXPORTS - AUGUST 2014

1. BMW 3 Series - 6438

2. VW Polo - 6390

3. Toyota Hilux - 3688

4. Mercedes C-Class - 3422

5. Ford Ranger - 3035

6. Nissan NP300 Hardbody - 715

7. Nissan Hardbody - 493

8. Toyota Corolla/Quest - 173

9. Isuzu KB - 149

10. Toyota Fortuner - 139

Sourcce : iol.co.za

Posted on : 04 Dec,2024 | News Source : ABNews