NADA Comments on August’s new-car sales

“The good news has continued for the South African retail motor industry, with August delivering another bumper month for sales. It was, in fact, the best sales month since September 2015, with 51 880 vehicles retailed - 18.7% higher than the corresponding month last year,” says Ryan Seele, executive member of the NADA NEC, commenting on the August sales figures released today by naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.

“We saw noticeably higher traffic on dealer floors, with the majority of buyers being private individuals rather than business or fleet customers. Many are beginning to feel relief from the recent interest rate cuts. While not all enquiries and test drives converted into sales immediately, the level of consumer interest and the intent to purchase in the near future are very encouraging for retail dealers,” he says.

Two locally produced vehicles in the affordable passenger car segment, the Toyota Corolla Cross and the VW Vivo, were the best-selling passenger cars for the month, each selling well over 2 000 units. This demonstrates that South African consumers continue to show strong demand for locally built vehicles, even amid the influx of lower-priced imports entering the market.

The official results could have been even better if more of the newer Chinese brands had reported sales figures. One addition this month was MG, which sold 443 vehicles.

The used vehicle market also enjoyed another strong month. Cars in the sub-R300,000 bracket remain particularly attractive, offering buyers greater affordability compared to new vehicles, which continue to drive robust sales in this segment.