June vehicle sales wrap and Top 50: Cabinet delay slows sales, Polo Vivo and Prado soar

June vehicle sales wrap and Top 50: Cabinet delay slows sales, Polo Vivo and Prado soar

June saw South African new vehicle sales plunge by 14% versus the same month last year, to settle at 40,072 units, according to Naamsa - The Automotive Business Council.

According to the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), the delayed announcement of the government of national unity’s cabinet had an impact on local business and consumer confidence, with many delaying big-ticket purchases such as vehicles.

However, NADA’s chairperson, Brandon Cohen welcomed the historic government of national unity (GNU), stating that “this approach to governance will hopefully bring much-needed stability to the country”.

Naamsa expressed optimism that economic conditions will improve in the second half of this year, as the markets appear to have responded positively to the new cabinet announcements.

The association said the continued absence of load shedding, lower fuel prices and likely interest rate cuts later in the year would see economic prospects steadily improving.

Nonetheless, June was a bleak month for new vehicle sales, where light commercial vehicle sales took the biggest knock, declining by 24.3% versus the same month last year, to total just 10,552 units. Passenger cars got off more lightly with a 9.0% decline to 29,599 unit sales last month.

Predictably, Toyota topped the manufacturer charts, albeit falling beneath the 10,000 mark with 9,743 sales, while Volkswagen took second place with 5,514 units, extending its lead over third-placed Suzuki which managed 4,297 units last month after overtaking its German rival earlier in the year.

Top 10 Manufacturers: June 2024

• 1. Toyota - 9,743

• 2. Volkswagen - 5,514

• 3. Suzuki Auto - 4,297

• 4. Ford Motor Co - 2,404

• 5. Hyundai Automotive - 2,367

• 6. Isuzu Motors - 2,157

• 7. Nissan - 1,905

• 8. Chery Auto - 1,653

• 9. GWM - 1,307

• 10. BMW Group - 1,104

Looking at the specific models, the Toyota Hilux led with 2,435 sales, a slight improvement on its May performance of 2,367. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo, in second place, made significant gains, rising from 1,817 units last month to 2,325 in June.

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo was South Africa's most popular passenger car in June. Picture: Supplied

In the bakkie wars, the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max took the podium with 1,868 and 1,794 respective sales, while the Toyota Corolla Cross was next best on the passenger car front, with 1,578. And if you’ve been ignoring the Chinese charge until now, consider that the Chery Tiggo 4 achieved its best-ever month, ranking third among passenger cars with a volume of 1,172 in June.

Another surprise on the SUV front was the new Toyota Prado, which shot up to 15th place with 694 units, a massive jump over its usual sales performance of around 100. However pent-up demand is likely at play for this R1.2 million SUV.

Top 50 vehicle sales: June 2024

• 1. Toyota Hilux - 2,435

• 2. Volkswagen Polo Vivo - 2,325

• 3. Ford Ranger - 1,868

• 4. Isuzu D-Max - 1,794

• 5. Toyota Corolla Cross - 1,578

• 6. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro - 1,172

• 7. Toyota Starlet - 1,171

• 8. Suzuki Swift - 1,073

• 9. Toyota Fortuner - 972

• 10. Hyundai Grand i10 - 948

• 11. Nissan Magnite - 902

• 12. Volkswagen Polo - 902

• 13. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up - 829

• 14. Haval Jolion - 736

• 15. Toyota Prado - 694

• 16. Suzuki Fronx - 620

• 17. Kia Sonet - 561

• 18. Toyota Vitz - 542

• 19. Hyundai i20 - 529

• 20. Nissan Navara - 505

• 21. Nissan NP200 - 476

• 22. Suzuki Baleno - 468

• 23. Suzuki Ertiga - 458

• 24. Volkswagen Polo Sedan - 391

• 25. Toyota Hi-Ace - 381

• 26. Toyota Urban Cruiser - 375

• 27. Chery Tiggo 7 Pro - 352

• 28. Volkswagen T-Cross - 349

• 29. Renault Kiger - 348

• 30. Volkswagen Amarok - 334

• 31. Toyota Rumion - 330

• 32. Suzuki S-Presso - 326

• 33. Suzuki Jimny - 324

• 34. Renault Triber - 323

• 35. Toyota Corolla Quest - 311

• 36. Hyundai Venue - 301

• 37. Toyota Land Cruiser PU - 258

• 38. Haval H6 - 252

• 39. Suzuki Eeco - 250

• 40. Suzuki Grand Vitara - 244

• 41. Ford Territory - 231

• 42. Renault Kwid - 225

• 43. Hyundai H100 Bakkie - 211

• 44. BMW X1 - 208

• 45. BMW X3 - 203

• 46. Ford Everest - 175

• 47. Citroen C3 - 164

• 48. BMW 2 Series - 162

• 49. GWM P-Series - 162

• 50. Suzuki Dzire - 153

IOL Motoring