The sales numbers are in for the first six months of 2021 and if we narrow the bakkie focus down to double cabs, it was a very close race between Toyota and Ford.
According to Lightstone Auto, the Toyota Hilux emerged as South Africa’s best-selling double cab, with a total of 9 251 units sold between January and June this year. The Ford Ranger double cab range followed closely, with 9 170 sales. Isuzu was third with 4 024 D-Max DC sales. That represents a monthly average of 1 541 units for Toyota, 1 528 for Ford and 671 for Isuzu.
Toyota enjoyed a far more dominant lead in the ‘cab-and-a-half’ sales race, with the Hilux Xtra Cab line-up attracting 3 416 sales, versus 1 110 for the Ford Ranger Super Cab and 515 for Isuzu’s D-Max Extended Cab.
Toyota also enjoys a considerable lead when it comes to single cabs, with its Hilux workhorse range accounting for 7 144 units in the first half of 2021, with Isuzu taking second place with 3 576 sales and Mahindra’s Pik-Up following in third with 1 585 sales. Ford’s single cab Rangers emerged in fourth place, with 1 234 sales.
With all the body configurations combined, Toyota sold 19 818 Hilux bakkies in the first half of 2021, versus Ford Ranger (11 514), Isuzu D-Max (8 116) and Mahindra Pik-Up (2 146).
Overall vehicle sales in South Africa are slowly gaining momentum, with June 2021 having seen a 20,2% increase over the same month last year. “The new vehicle market continued its gradual recovery during the month of June 2020 in the face of a number of challenges, but also opportunities,” Naamsa said. “Ongoing stronger sales through the dealer channel signals improved consumer and business sentiment, rental companies are re-fleeting again while the delayed replacement cycle, due to lockdown restrictions in 2020, are catching up in contributing to improved new vehicle sales.”
