New vehicle sales continued their downward trend in April‚ falling 9.2% compared to the same month in 2015. As a result‚ combined sales for the first four months are down 9.7% compared to 2015.
Exports‚ however‚ recorded a strong recovery last month. Toyota shipments bounced back to near-normality after dipping for several months during the local production changeover to new Hilux and Fortuner models‚ while Volkswagen‚ Ford‚ BMW and Mercedes-Benz all reported solid export performances.
As a result‚ exports for the year so far have recovered from their 13% deficit at the end of March‚ and are now only 1.2% behind. Analysts expect the recovery to continue for the rest of the year and for full-year figures to exceed last year’s record 333‚802 by at least 10%.
Locally‚ new car sales in April fell 13.2% compared to April 2015‚ from 30‚026 to 26‚077. Despite extra-heavy trucks posting a 16.4% rise‚ the overall market was down 9.2% from 44‚469 to 40‚340.
National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) director Nico Vermeulen said new vehicle prospects for the rest of 2015 remained subdued. He said the likelihood of double-digit price increases on new vehicles in 2016 “would combine to further pressurise consumers and businesses“.
Yearly new vehicle sales in April fall almost 10%
New vehicle sales continued their downward trend in April‚ falling 9.2% compared to the same month in 2015. As a result‚ combined sales for the first four months are down 9.7% compared to 2015.
Exports‚ however‚ recorded a strong recovery last month. Toyota shipments bounced back to near-normality after dipping for several months during the local production changeover to new Hilux and Fortuner models‚ while Volkswagen‚ Ford‚ BMW and Mercedes-Benz all reported solid export performances.
As a result‚ exports for the year so far have recovered from their 13% deficit at the end of March‚ and are now only 1.2% behind. Analysts expect the recovery to continue for the rest of the year and for full-year figures to exceed last year’s record 333‚802 by at least 10%.
Locally‚ new car sales in April fell 13.2% compared to April 2015‚ from 30‚026 to 26‚077. Despite extra-heavy trucks posting a 16.4% rise‚ the overall market was down 9.2% from 44‚469 to 40‚340.
National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) director Nico Vermeulen said new vehicle prospects for the rest of 2015 remained subdued. He said the likelihood of double-digit price increases on new vehicles in 2016 “would combine to further pressurise consumers and businesses“.
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