Locally-made Corolla Cross remains at the top
Judging by the figures released last week by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) South Africans’ ongoing challenges with various stages of load shedding, the fluctuating prices of fuel and rising cost of living have failed to have an effect on the sales of new vehicles.
In total, 49 413 new vehicles were sold in November, an increase 18.2% from the 41 795 moved twelve months ago.
What’s more, the uptake also represented the eleventh straight month of vehicle sales increasing in a year, something that hasn’t happened in a while.
While the Toyota Hilux kept its position as the country’s bestselling vehicle with sales of 3 048, its Durban assembled stablemate, the Toyota Corolla Cross, ranked second with 2 109, with another model assembled at the Prospecton Plant, the Toyota HiAce, coming in third with sales of 1 981 unit.
In line with global trends, the uptake of crossovers and SUVs is noteworthy as a total of 20 can be found amongst November’s 50 bestsellers.
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With the exception of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70-series (whose sales take into combined consideration those of the the 76-series station wagon, the 78-series Troop Carrier and the 79 single and double cab bakkies), South African’s appetite for SUVs, regardless of the category or size, are growing as the country’s roads continue to be decidedly unfriendly for normal cars.
Here is a look at how South Africa’s ten best-selling SUV/crossovers stacked up in November.
An ambitious target of wanting the Corolla Cross to eventually topple the Hilux seems unlikely, but with operations at Prospecton resumed after the April floods, it comfortably holds the position of the country’s top-selling faux off-roader.
Another Toyota, albeit of Suzuki origin, the Urban Cruiser has been a smash hit since being introduced last year, but will soon to discontinued as production in India ended last month with no replacement planned.
Envisioned as more of a premium small crossover/SUV, the T-Cross has been al success story for Wolfsburg despite its price and buyers still favouring the locally assembled Polo it shares its platform with.
The bestselling traditional SUV for the years, the Fortuner is on track to be replaced next year by a model set to preview the next generation Hilux. It is, therefore, also set to get more expensive and potentially in the firing line of the all-new Ford Everest.
Priced as a more premium product compared to its sibling, the Renault Kiger, the Magnite remains a success for the Japanese brand as evident by recent sales performances placing it above the cheaper Kiger.
Good looks, a specification sheet packed with features and a price undercutting almost of all of its rivals have been the key to the Jolion success as sales have breached the 1 000 mark a few times this year already. While a sporty S model is set to arrive next year, its high fuel consumption remains a worry.
Since its return to South Africa last year, Chery has been coining it with the Tiggo 4 Pro leading the charge. Following the same principle as the Jolion, it also has the same pitfall of not being the most fuel-efficient option available.
The reason for the existence of the Toyota Urban Cruiser, the Brezza once topped the list of bestselling cars in India, but has since been succeeded by newer models, including being replaced outright by a model without the Vitara prefix. For now, it continues in South Africa.
Another offering from Haval, the H6 has seen sales climb in recent months now that it tops Haval’s SUV range. Bolstered by the recent inclusion of a hybrid model, its success has been a deserved one.
Also a vehicle with origins in the India, the Venue earlier this year received a midlife update to bring it in line with Hyundai’s current styling language. Popular for a reason, its performance in November is noteworthy as it managed to outperform its sibling, the Kia Sonet and the soon to depart Ford EcoSport.
More details about the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa can be found here.
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