These were SA’s best-selling cars in glum November

New-vehicle sales suffered its biggest losses during November since the beginning of 2021 when the market was beginning its slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to figures released by industry body Naamsa, SA’s new-vehicle sales dropped 9.8% year on year to 45,075 units in November, the sixth month of declining sales this year and the fourth consecutive month of negative growth.

Consumers had their third respite from further interest rate increases in November when the Reserve Bank held interest rates unchanged. But the general outlook remains for a high interest rate environment to continue affecting household debt until the middle of next year, said Lebo Gaoaketse, head of marketing and communication at WesBank.

Passenger cars, at 29,384 units, registered a 12.1% drop last month compared with November 2022, while light commercial vehicles (including bakkies and minibuses) declined 3.9% to 12,941 units.

The downturn was attributed to a confluence of global unrest, political uncertainty, increased load-shedding and logistical challenges at ports, roads, and railways. 

Despite attractive consumer offers and efforts to reduce stock levels before year-end, November’s sales performance was disappointing, said Brandon Cohen, national chair of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (Nada).

“Even with increased interest in long-term leasing and step-payment financial programmes, these incentives failed to attract significant numbers of buyers.”

Despite the downturn, year-to-date vehicle sales stand at 491,967 units after 11 months, still 0.8% higher than the comparable period last year.

“The challenge now is whether December sales can sustain this slim annual growth,” said Cohen.

Toyota retained its position as the country’s most popular brand in November, ahead of Volkswagen and Suzuki.

The country’s two best-selling new vehicles were bakkies, with the Toyota Hilux taking the top spot ahead of the Ford Ranger. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo was the best-selling passenger car, pipping the Toyota Corolla Cross.

SA’S BEST-SELLING NEW VEHICLES — NOVEMBER 2023

1. Toyota Hilux — 3,073
2. Ford Ranger — 2,234
3. Volkswagen Polo Vivo — 1,913
4. Toyota Corolla Cross — 1,766
5. Isuzu D-Max — 1,662
6. Toyota HiAce — 1,501
7. Toyota Starlet — 1,176
8. Nissan NP200 — 1,152
9. Suzuki Swift — 1,117
10. Nissan Magnite — 997
11. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro — 986
12. Hyundai Grand i10 — 965
13. Volkswagen Polo — 930
14. Toyota Fortuner — 689
15. Kia Sonet — 675
16. Haval H6 — 654
17. Mahindra Scorpio Pik Up — 606
18. Renault Kwid — 589
19. Toyota Corolla Quest — 582
20. Renault Kiger — 574
21. Hyundai i30 — 565
22. Toyota Urban Cruiser — 559
23. Suzuki Fronx — 547
24. Volkswagen T-Cross — 538
25. Renault Triber — 522
26. Suzuki Ertiga — 520
27. Haval Jolion — 508
28. Suzuki S-Presso — 446
29. VW Polo Sedan — 434
30. Suzuki Baleno — 414