THE SOUTH African bakkie market enjoyed something of a resurgence in August, with the Toyota Hilux being back in action following the reopening of the company’s Prospecton plant.

Following months of declines, South Africa’s overall light commercial vehicle market grew by 13.1% versus last August, recording a gain of 1,536 units. The Hilux, with its much-improved volume of 3,417 units, was no doubt largely responsible for this.

Ford also enjoyed a strong month on the sales charts with its soon-to-be-replaced Ranger, which emerged in second place with a volume of 1,791. The new Ranger is due later this year, and it’s set to be a strong contender in the bakkie war.

Isuzu took the final podium, closely following its Ford counterpart with unit sales of 1,789, while the country’s only half-tonner, Nissan’s NP200, achieved a volume of 1,397.

The Mahindra Scorpio rounded off the top five with an impressive 896 sales, while the Nissan Navara took sixth spot with its volume of 661. Among the Chinese contenders, the older-generation GWM Steed was Haval’s best seller, with 440 units finding homes, while its more modern P-Series sibling found itself outside the top 10 with 138 sales. The evergreen Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-Up enjoyed a stronger-than-usual month with 401 sales.

South Africa’s worst-selling double cab was the Mazda BT-50, which managed a volume of just four units. Other contenders in the sub-100 category were the Jeep Gladiator (13) Peugeot Landtrek (36) and Mitsubishi Triton (38).

SOUTH AFRICAN BAKKIE SALES: AUGUST 2022

1. Toyota Hilux - 3,417

2. Ford Ranger - 1,791

3. Isuzu D-Max - 1,789

4. Nissan NP200 - 1,397

5. Mahindra Scorpio Pik-Up - 896

6. Nissan Navara - 661

7. GWM Steed - 440

8. Toyota Land Cruiser PU - 401

9. Hyundai H100 Bakkie - 231

10. Kia K2700 - 168

11. GWM P-Series - 138

12. Volkswagen Amarok - 128

13. TAC T-Series - 72

14. Mitsubishi Triton - 68

15. Suzuki Super Carry - 67

16. JAC X-Series - 61

17. Mahindra Bolero - 37

18. Peugeot Landtrek - 36

19. Volkswagen Transporter PU - 14

20. Jeep Gladiator - 13

21. Mazda BT-50 - 4

22. Kia K2500 - 2

If we take overall brand sales into consideration, Toyota led the local LCV scene with a total volume of 5,044. It was followed by Nissan (2,058), Ford Motor Company (1,801), Isuzu SA (1,789), Mahindra (936) and Haval (578).

Although Toyota’s KZN plant is back in action, it will take a while before pre-flood production levels are achieved and there is still a backlog of orders for certain products.

“The resilience of the Toyota brand in South Africa was put to the test when production ceased for a few months following the devastating floods that caused damage to our plant in Durban,” said Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) marketing VP Leon Theron. “We are truly pleased to have models such as Hilux, Hiace, Fortuner, Corolla Cross and Quest rolling off the production line.

“However, we still have an extensive backlog of orders that we have to clear, and we continue to ask for patience on the part of our customers. There is indeed light at the end of the tunnel,” Theron added.

August was a good month for the South African vehicle market as a whole, according to Naamsa. Overall sales, including passenger vehicles, amounted to 47,420 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.2%. The industry association also added that year-to-date, the vehicle market is 13.8% ahead of where it was during the same period in 2021.

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