Suzuki Swift 2025 Although the Toyota Hilux retook the overall lead, Suzuki's Swift continued to dominate the passenger car market. Picture: Supplied
Image: Supplied
It was another solid month of growth for the South African new vehicle market, as February saw passenger vehicle sales surge by 17% year-on-year.
The Suzuki Swift led this charge, and although slightly down on its stellar January performance that saw a record 2,628 units registered, the new-generation hatchback still dominated the passenger car sector in February with 2,351 sales.
This gave it a comfortable lead over the recently facelifted Volkswagen Polo Vivo, which found 2,187 homes last month.
Overall top seller: Toyota's Hilux. Picture: Supplied Overall top seller: Toyota's Hilux. Picture: Supplied
Image: Supplied
However, on the overall leaderboard the Toyota Hilux rose to its usual top position with 2,683 sales, followed by the Ford Ranger at 2,168 and Isuzu D-Max at 1,924. This as the light commercial vehicle market declined by 11.3%, versus the same month last year, as the Nissan NP200’s absence and finance constraints in the minibus taxi market continued to weigh on the sector.
The passenger car market, on the other hand, continues to benefit from strong sales to the rental industry, which accounted for 39% of Suzuki Swift sales and 25% of Polo Vivo sales.
Other strong sellers were the Toyota Corolla Cross (1,435), Toyota Starlet (1,279) and Hyundai Grand i10 (1,253), with the latter two seeing significant rental market penetration, accounting for 36% and 18% of their respective totals.
February’s vehicle sales grand total amounted to 47,978 units, an increase of 7.3% over the same month in 2024, with passenger cars totalling 33,757 units (up 17%) and LCVs at 11,802 (down 11.3%). They were followed by heavy commercials (12.5% down at 1,698 units) and medium commercials (11.8% up at 721 units).
The vehicle market continues to show resilience in the face of both local and international headwinds, said Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa.
“Inflationary risks remain a concern, with NERSA’s 12.74% electricity tariff hike set for April, posing potential cost pressures for manufacturers. Additionally, the unexpected postponement of the 2025 Budget introduced short-term fiscal uncertainty, though consumer resilience, monetary support, and sustained business confidence helped maintain a positive trajectory for overall vehicle sales,” Mabasa said.
Brandon Cohen, Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) said the growing market share of brands competing in the lower and entry-level segments of the market suggest that affordability is playing a key role in driving sales.
“Additionally, a 0.25% decrease in interest rates at the end of January as well as speculation over a potential VAT increase may have encouraged some buyers to expedite their purchases,” Cohen added.
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