Volkswagen still a preferred brand

Members of SAVRALA include, amongst other, Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Budget and Tempest and it represents 90% of vehicle rental and leasing companies in South Africa. It is also the biggest vehicle buyer after government with the purchase of over 120 000 new cars annually. Each year SAVRALA members rate vehicle manufacturers and importers that they interact with on matters such as communication, finance (including pricing), technical support, dealer network support and vehicle security.

SAVRALA has been bestowing its awards for 19 years. In the 2013 awards, Volkswagen was the biggest winner with six Gold awards, Overall Motor Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturer of the year - Rental (for the fifth consecutive year) and Manufacturer of the year - Leasing (for the third consecutive year). Volkswagen employees, Queen Davhana, Lutendo Mudau and Kathleen Booth received individual Gold awards for top rental consultant; top technical consultant and top leasing consultant respectively.

Audi received a Bronze award for its third place in the Manufacturer of the year - Rental category. This was the first time that Audi had won any of the SAVRALA awards and it was also the only premium brand to receive an award on the evening.

David Powels, managing director at Volkswagen Group South Africa said the awards were the result of the diligent work to delight the rental and leasing customers.

"We are very proud of the achievements of our Volkswagen Fleet and Rental Sales teams for winning the main award of the Manufacturer of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. This is the true reflection of the Volkswagen's leadership in the South Africa passenger car market. We also wish to thank the SAVRALA members for their ongoing support and having confidence in our products," Powels said.