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- Suzuki once again sold more than 3000 new cars in one month in South Africa.
- November 2021 performance secures its spot as a top-three retailer of new cars in SA.
- S-Presso remains the best-selling car for the Japanese automaker.
- For motoring news, go to Wheels24
Go ahead. Scream and shout and say what you will about the state of the South African economy; the weakening of the rand, and the rapid rise of the fuel price. Pause a moment, take a deep breath, then look at the latest Naamsa (the automotive business council) numbers for November 2021.
Scuderia Ferrari South Africa sold six new F8 Tributo models and one new 812 last month. Porsche? They sold 92 brand new cars here in November. Lamborghini sold five new cars, and Bentley sold five new vehicles. Other premium car makers did well last month, too, Jaguar Land Rover selling 240 new cars here and BMW selling 635 new cars.
It seems, if South Africans have the bucks, they're spending their bucks on new luxury and premium sports cars and sports utility vehicles.
It's here! Check out the first episode of our brand new YouTube series: https://t.co/iZgNgOqUEC https://t.co/umUuaauXJ7
— Suzuki SA (@Suzuki_ZA) November 9, 2021
What vehicle are you looking forward to buying in 2022? Let us know in the comments section below, or please send us an email here.
Despite diminishing incomes, rising living costs and now added pressure brought on by Covid-19 variant Omicron, South Africans buy cars of all kinds, regardless of price. It is, however, indicative at the very top of the Naamsa numbers from last month that most South Africans are buying budget-friendly cars. Last month, Suzuki Auto South Africa found bronze in the total number of vehicles sold in SA, having moved 3082 new cars in November.
Suzuki's third place in last month's vehicle sales shows that its value-oriented line-up is suited to South African motorists needs. In a statement, Suzuki Auto SA said: For Suzuki Auto South Africa, sales of over 3 000 units are becoming a regular occurrence, and November was no different. Suzuki sold 3 134 units sold in September this year.
READ ABOUT THE SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA HERE.
Last month's incredible sales performance places Suzuki firmly in third place, behind Toyota and Volkswagen. It also gives the brand a 7,4% share of the total South African market, which, according to Naamsa, sold a combined 41 588 units in November. More importantly, Suzuki had a 10,72% passenger vehicle market share. Their overall share and passenger market share are Suzuki's highest on record.
"We are always monitoring dealer sales to gauge the health of the dealer network and Suzuki brand among private buyers," says Henno Havenga, manager for auto dealer sales at Suzuki Auto SA. "While it is very heartening to see that the dealer network is our strongest and most important channel, it is perhaps even more encouraging to see that the figures aren't made up of just one or two well-performing dealers or dealer groups, but a wide cross-section of our network."
Suzuki Auto South Africa is currently opening three more dealers, which will push its dealer count to 78 nationwide. "Our footprint is improving steadily. We are at a point where most Suzuki owners are only a few minutes from a dealer. This gives us even more time to focus on further improving customer service," Havenga adds.
READ ABOUT THE LATEST SUZUKI JIMNY HERE.
Looking at the Naamsa numbers, it is clear that South Africans love the Suzuki brand, not just a single model:
- The Suzuki S-Presso was the top seller in November with 926 sales.
- The Suzuki Swift followed with 859 sales.
- The Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the doppelganger of the popular Toyota Urban Cruiser, also found 310 new homes.
- The Suzuki Jimny, now available in higher numbers thanks to a new source factory, secured 254 sales.
"2021, despite its challenges and disruptions, has been Suzuki's best year yet, and our dealer network has outperformed every sales target we set. This bodes well for the future, as it shows that our dealer network is stable and healthy and that it can support customers, regardless of the external circumstances," Havenga concludes.
As South Africans feel added economic pressure in 2022 with the rising cost of fuel and increasing cost of living in South Africa, it will become more critical to drive what we can afford. Suzuki will undoubtedly remain at the top of the sales charts in 2022, and we see the brand as a genuine contender to stay in the top three if it can continue to secure stock and introduce more exciting flavours of its value-oriented line-up. We're looking forward to assessing the latest Vitara Brezza and a few of Suzuki's best-sellers in 2022 to learn more about how they drive and why South Africans flock to Suzuki dealers.
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