New vehicle sales slide continues

Total market sales for December dropped 7,2% to 30 478 units which is also 12,3% down on November 2009.

Passenger car sales slowed 8.8% over the same period last year, but were 16.4% lower than November. This was mostly due to the model run-outs at Volkswagen. Light commercial vehicle (LCV) sales continued to show resilience and stability, recording a marginal 0,3% decline over the same period in 2008 and 0,1% higher than November 2009.

Annual picture is a different one

The annual picture is a different one, however. Passenger car sales during 2009 slowed 21,6% over 2008, while LCVs performed less well with a 30,2% decline over the same period last year.

Commenting on the December sales figures Vice President Sales and Marketing, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, Jacques Brent, said: “While December sales are traditionally skewed by delayed purchase decisions and registrations, sales were lower than in December 2008, which were already in decline then.”

“Taken in context of the overall sales for 2009, these figures look a little more reassuring in terms of trend because the total market declined 25,9% over 2008. Overall December's decline versus November was in keeping with the trend of between 10% and 12% that we have seen over the last few years," he said.

Ford ends in the fast lane

In contrast to market trends, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) ended the year on a high note with an excellent December sales. “The recently introduced Ford Everest continued to sell well, while Fiesta was the third best selling passenger car in December,” says Brent. FMCSA totals, passenger and LCV sales all performed in the top three positions in December.

“We are naturally hoping for a turnaround in the market and some renewed impetus for sales during 2010, both from an industry perspective as well as our own company business,” said Brent. “However, we will only really be able to see some reliable trends and sales results from the end of March once the December-January period and the shorter February sales month draw to a close.”

Top performing new passenger vehicles December 2009

1. TOYOTA Corolla -1169
2. TOYOTA Fortuner -1110
3. FORD Fiesta - 641
4. VW Golf 6 - 591
5. AUDI A4 - 501
6. TOYOTA Prado - 395
7. L-R Discovery 4 - 376
8. RENAULT Sandero - 363
9. CHEV Cruze - 362
10. CHEV Aveo - 355