Johannesburg - The South African new vehicle market ended 2022 on a high note, with December seeing 16.2% year-on-year growth, according to Naamsa, to round off a year of consistent growth.
On the December sales charts Toyota took a clean sweep of the podium, with the top three spots occupied by the Toyota Hilux (2 556), Corolla Cross (1 834) and Hi-Ace (1 539).
In fourth place overall was the Ford Ranger, which underwent a model changeover in December (you can read our impressions of the impressive new model here) and it’s going to be interesting to see how it performs in the new year.
SA’S 50 TOP SELLING VEHICLES: DECEMBER 2022
1. Toyota Hilux – 2 556
2. Toyota Corolla Cross – 1 834
3. Toyota Hi-Ace – 1 539
4. Ford Ranger – 1 495
5. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 1 421
6. Volkswagen 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. Hyundai Grand i10 – 780
13. Renault Kwid – 780
14. Nissan Magnite – 771
15. Haval Jolion – 734
16. Nissan NP200 – 718
17. Toyota Fortuner – 705
18. Volkswagen 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. Toyota Land Cruiser 300 – 376
30. Nissan Navara–- 356
31. Hyundai Atos – 342
32. Suzuki S-Presso – 342
33. Hyundai i20 – 339
34. Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – 330
35. Toyota Land Cruiser PU – 314
36. Toyota Corolla Quest – 300
37. GWM P-Series – 292
38. Kia Sonet – 284
39. Ford EcoSport – 280
40. Volkswagen Tiguan – 279
41. GWM Steed – 279
42. Suzuki Celerio – 274
43. Toyota Rumion – 265
44. Volkswagen T-Roc – 264
45. Suzuki Ciaz – 221
46. Kia Rio – 206
47. Kia Seltos – 202
48. Chery Tiggo 8 Pro – 172
49. Hyundai H100 Bakkie – 167
50. Kia Pegas – 158
It’s no surprise that Toyota sold the most vehicles overall by a huge margin, with a December total of 11 250. Second and third were Volkswagen (5 331) and Suzuki (3 058), followed by Hyundai (2 770) and Nissan (2 144).
The South African new vehicle market grew by 13.9% in 2022, versus the previous year, with a total tally of 528 963 vehicles, bringing the market close to pre-pandemic levels. Consider that the industry moved 536 612 units in 2019 and 552 227 in 2018.
The National Automobile Dealers’ Association (Nada) and Automotive Business Council (Naamsa) expect the market to continue growing in 2023, albeit at a slower pace. Load shedding, high interest rates, lower disposable incomes and fuel prices are expected to weigh on the market, Nada says.
“As far as 2023 is concerned, the domestic new vehicle market’s performance is expected to remain resilient despite weakening domestic economic indicators and a deteriorating global growth outlook,” Naamsa added.