New-vehicle sales in December 2022 ended a strong year for the SA motor industry which continued to outperform expectations despite stock supply shortages.
There were 41,783 cars and commercial vehicles sold during the month in a year that saw total sales ending at 528,963 units, a 13.9% increase on 2021 while still 1.4% below the pre-pandemic 536,612 units sold in 2019.
2022’s recovery was recorded despite global shortages of semiconductors and wiring harnesses. In SA, consumer spending power was curtailed by inflation reaching a 13-year high of 7.8%, record fuel prices, and the interest rate rising to its highest level since 2016.
Bouncing back strongly after the KwaZulu-Natal flooding disaster forced the closure of its Durban car factory for four months, Toyota ended the year with the lion’s share of the market. It sold 11,250 new vehicles in December, more than double its nearest rival, Volkswagen (5,331).
Rounding out the top 15 brands were Suzuki (3,058), Hyundai (2,770), Nissan (2,144), Ford (1,948), Renault (1,868), Haval (1,735), Kia (1,650), Isuzu (1,607), Mercedes (1,525), Chery (1,359), BMW (1,248), Mahindra (739) and Daimler Truck (518).
The segment with the most growth in 2022 was passenger cars, which sold 363,092 units for a 19.3% increase over 2021. Light commercial vehicles (including minibuses and bakkies) sold 135,666 units for a 2% rise, while medium and heavy trucks were respectively 11.3% and 11.7% higher.
Sales in December were as usual dominated by bakkies, small hatchbacks and compact crossovers. These were the top performers:
1. Toyota Hilux — 2,556
2. Toyota Corolla Cross — 1,834
3. Toyota Hiace — 1,539
4. Ford Ranger — 1,495
5. VW Polo Vivo — 1,421
6. VW Polo — 1,365
7. Isuzu D-Max — 1,183
8. Toyota Starlet — 1,036
9. Toyota Urban Cruiser — 945
10. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro — 857
11. Suzuki Swift — 806
12. Renault Kwid — 780
12. Hyundai Grand i10 — 780
14. Nissan Magnite — 771
15. Haval Jolion — 734
16. Nissan NP200 — 718
17. Toyota Fortuner — 705
18. VW T-Cross — 689
19. Renault Kiger — 513
20. Hyundai Venue — 499
21. Toyota Agya — 491
22. Renault Triber — 488
23. Kia Picanto — 485
24. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up — 460
25. Haval H6 — 430
26. Suzuki Vitara Brezza — 420
27. BMW X3 — 395
28. Suzuki Baleno — 385
29. Nissan Navara — 356
30. Hyundai Atos — 342
30. Suzuki S-Presso — 342
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