Staff Reporter
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) took the lead again in November, recording 11,441 deliveries and amassing a year-to-date tally of 117,486 units. This sees TSAM sales registering a year-to-date growth of 7.8 percent compared to the same time in 2016.
Leading the charge is South Africa’s best-selling bakkie of all time Toyota Hilux – recording 3,243 units in the penultimate month. Hilux remains 2,935 units ahead of its closest competitor year-to-date.
The second best-selling manufacturer after TSAM in November managed to post 7,438 units – more than 4,000 adrift of Toyota.
There have also been some strong performances in the passenger segment with Toyota posting a total of 63,897 units year-to-date in 2017, compared to last year’s 55,506 in the first 11 months. Notable gainers in November include Corolla/Auris/Quest with 1, 711 and Etios with 1541.
TSAM’s evergreen SUVs – Fortuner and RAV4 – continued their segment dominance with 1, 080 and 747 respectively, while the more luxurious Prado and Land Cruiser 200 recorded sales of 91 and 110, respectively. Lexus’s luxury SUVs, NX and LX, shifted no less than 21 units apiece.
On the trucks front, Hino South Africa achieved a solid 329 sales, reaching an all-year-high share of 28.7 percent in the MCV segment. The 500 Series performed notably well with a 21.4 percent share of the HCV segment – the second highest in 2017, culminating in a 14 percent overall share.
According to vice president of sales and marketing at TSAM Calvyn Hamman, “The reason our sales are consistently high is because we have well-regarded vehicles in almost every market segment, enabling us to meet consumer preferences no matter where they shift. We’re also proud of Toyota’s extensive dealer network and our dedicated sales teams.
“Despite being pleased with our year-to-date sales, we remain committed to TSAM’s long-term strategic plans built around steady and sustainable growth. So, it will be business as usual for us through to December 31 and beyond.”