With rental companies finally re-fleeting, the passenger vehicle market saw some encouraging growth in June 2021. Relative to the light commercial vehicle market, which registered a year-on-year growth of 9,6% last month, the passenger car sales rose by 28% versus June 2020.
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According to Naamsa figures, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo and its more modern Polo sibling were the two best-selling passenger vehicles in June, with the pair recording respective sales volumes of 1 636 and 1 418.
Toyota took up the next two spots, with the Starlet managing 1 165 sales and the Fortuner accounting for 819. One has to feel for Suzuki Auto SA, which sold just 62 Balenos last month despite it being practically identical to the Starlet. Thankfully it was a narrower gap in the compact SUV game, where the Urban Cruiser saw a volume of 591 units and Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza managed a not inconsiderable 344 sales. Nissan’s new Magnite (532 sales) was not too far behind its Toyota rival.
It’s also interesting to note that the Haval Jolion emerged as the fifth best-selling passenger car in June, with a volume of 577 units. This helped the Chinese importer achieve seventh place overall in the brand sales ranking, just behind Suzuki and Nissan.
South Africa’s 20 best-selling passenger cars: June 2021
- Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 1 636
- Volkswagen Polo – 1 418
- Toyota Starlet – 1 165
- Toyota Fortuner – 819
- Haval Jolion – 708
- Ford EcoSport – 600
- Toyota Urban Cruiser – 591
- Renault Kwid – 577
- Suzuki S-Presso – 572
- Renault Triber – 551
- Nissan Magnite – 532
- Toyota Corolla Quest – 490
- Volkswagen T-Cross – 465
- Hyundai Venue – 459
- Hyundai i20 – 457
- Hyundai Grand i10 – 443
- Volkswagen Polo Sedan – 433
- Volkswagen T-Roc – 413
- Kia Rio – 384
- Kia Picanto – 366
As mentioned, the passenger vehicle market was buoyed by rental car sales in June, as well as improved consumer and business sentiment, according to Naamsa. However many challenges remain, including the third wave of Covid-19 infections and South Africa’s ongoing electricity woes.
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However WesBank marketing head Lebogang Gaoaketse expects that the market could see a returned level of hesitancy during July following the recent move to Level 4 lockdown regulations. However there are still many encouraging signs in the economy.
“Both business and consumer confidence are certainly building their own momentum despite the current environment, which is providing continued energy into the slow recovery of the market,” Gaoaketse said.
“Stock shortages continue to have some impact on overall sales as manufacturers continue to manage demand versus supply on imports and availability of production, while local manufacturing continues to experience some parts supply challenges. However, year-to-date sales remain reassuring as the market continues its slow recovery,” Gaoaketse added.
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