Three Toyota models lead, as new vehicle sales start year off on a high

The upwards trajectory in South Africa’s new vehicle sales continued from 2022 into January 2023 with a record 13th straight month of increases.

Although effected by the current energy crisis, ongoing flip-flopping fuel prices and rising inflation, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) still recorded a 4.8% sales increase from January last year, with sales of 43 509 vehicles versus the 41 503 from 2022.

In the various segments, both passenger and light commercial vehicles ended in the black with the former going-up by 2.9% from 30 199 to 31 072, and the latter by 10.4% from 9 624 units to 10 622.

Also up were medium and heavy-duty commercial sales, the former rising by 2.9% from 448 to 461 units and the latter by 9.9% from 1 232 to 1 354. The opposite, however, applied to exports, which decreased by a scant 1.8% from January 2022’s 20 903 to 20 536.

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“The weak performance of the new vehicle market during the first month of the year is in line with expectations of a depressed economy along with ongoing structural problems and cost of living increases,” NAAMSA said in a statement.

“The same challenges that confronted the economy and the automotive industry in 2022 have been carried over into 2023. It is expected that unpredictability in the new vehicle market will prevail but that sales would exceed the pre-Covid-19 level in 2023.”

Out of the country’s best ranking manufactures, the top three from December remained unchanged with Toyota finishing ahead of Volkswagen with sales of 12 532 units versus 5 081, while Suzuki retained it’s third position with total sales of 4 357 units.

Ranking fourth was Nissan on 2 927 and Hyundai fifth on 2 525. Concluding the top ten were Renault (2 051), Kia (1 686), Ford (1 661), Haval (1 565) and Isuzu (1 527).

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