These were SA’s top selling cars in August

New-vehicle sales in SA were back on track last month after July’s figures were down due to the riots and cyber attacks, though semiconductor shortages are still affecting supply.

The 41,425 new cars and commercial vehicles sold in August were a 25.3% improvement on July’s 33,061 and 24.6% higher than the 33,259 sales of August 2020. Year to date the market is 32.4% ahead of the same stage in 2020.

“This was an outstanding performance as the economy is still recovering from the effects of the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July, as well as the substantial disruptions at the ports as a result of the unrest, coupled to the cyber-attack on Transnet operations,” said Mark Dommisse, chair of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (Nada).

The numbers could have been higher but the continued global shortage of semiconductor microchips meant that many ordered vehicles could not be delivered.

“The problem seems to be getting more serious as time goes by with manufacturers either pausing production or deleting chip-specific functionality from certain model lines,” said Dommisse.

“We are still encountering delays caused by the unrest and the port disruptions which is keeping customers waiting for their new vehicles. In some cases, they are tired of waiting and are changing brands by shopping elsewhere. Unfortunately, we will be forced to face this uncertainly for a while still and I don’t think supply will stabilise for some time to come.”

Toyota SA Motors (TSAM) once again led the market in August with 10,543 sales. The ever-popular Hilux was in the top spot notching up 3,335 sales, made up of 1,732 double cabs, 1,058 single cabs and 545 extra cabs. This together with laudable performances from Hiace (1,298), Starlet (1,203), Urban Cruiser (876), Fortuner (856) and Corolla Quest (806) saw Toyota top the market with a 25.4% share.

Volkswagen was the second most popular brand in August with 6,930 sales ahead of Nissan (3,332), Hyundai Automotive SA (2,749), Suzuki Auto (2,470), Ford Motor Company (2,201), Renault (2,010), Haval Motors SA (1,885), Kia SA (1,703), and Isuzu Motors SA (1,599) rounding out the top 10.

Ford’s Silverton factory was shut for refurbishment in August, which affected the supply of the Ranger bakkie and saw it drop from second to fifth place in overall sales.

Suzuki achieved a record sales month with 2,470 vehicles, led by the S-Presso crossover which sold 754 units. 

With 679 sales the recently-launched Nissan Magnite also had a good showing in the popular compact-crossover segment, overtaking rivals such as the VW T-Cross and Hyundai Venue.

SA’s top 30 selling vehicles - August 2021

1. Toyota Hilux — 3,335
2. VW Polo — 2,090
3. VW Polo Vivo — 1,724
4. Isuzu D-Max — 1,331
5. Ford Ranger — 1,317
6. Toyota Hi-Ace — 1,298
7. Toyota Starlet — 1,203
8. Nissan NP200 — 1,167
9. Renault Kwid — 1,015
10. Toyota Urban Cruiser — 876
11. Toyota Fortuner — 856
12. Toyota Corolla Quest — 806
13. Suzuki S-Presso — 754
14. Nissan Magnite — 679
15. Renault Triber — 673
16. Haval Jolion — 617
17. Suzuki Swift — 602
18. VW Tiguan — 548
19. VW T-Cross — 530
20. Nissan Navara — 505
21. Hyundai Venue — 501
22. Hyundai Grand i10 — 486
23. VW Polo Sedan — 473
24. Suzuki Vitara Brezza — 466
25. Kia Picanto — 447
26. GWM P-Series — 433
27. Hyundai Atos — 408
28. Kia Rio — 406
29. Toyota Agya — 393
30. Hyundai i20 — 392