MOTORING NEWS
45
YEARS AND STILL LEADING THE WAY
# 1 In Annual Sales • # 1 In Passenger • # 1 In LCV • # 1 In MCV • # 1 In Heavy
NAAMSA revealed that despite a lastquarter boost , new vehicle sales in 2024 fell overall by 3,0 % to 515,712 units compared to the 531,775 units sold in 2023 . All indicators point to an equally challenging 2025 , although a potential rebound to pre-pandemic sales levels is still possible if key economic indicators on the local front continue to improve .
Leon Theron , Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Toyota South Africa , concurs that 2024 was indeed ‘ frustrating ’ but he is encouraged by the resilience of Toyota and its affiliated brands : “ To end off the year on such a retail high with top sales in all the main categories bodes well for the new year .
“ Given that December is traditionally a low-volume month , Toyota ’ s performance was even more reassuring . We achieved a 27.7 % market share – our best for the year . I ’ m also pleased with the numbers from a volume point of view , the 11,422 units shifted reflects a sales increase of 222 units over the preceding year . Toyota was once again the retail leader in 2024 , racking up a total of 128,663 sales for a 24,9 % share of the market .
“ To stay at number one for 45 years is no mean feat . All credit goes to the incredibly talented Toyota crew – from our sales , marketing and aftersales teams to our dealer staff , including our suppliers – you have pulled off yet another laudable performance in spite of the difficult trading conditions . And of course , we couldn ’ t have done it without the loyal patronage of our customers . To all of you , I say thank you .”
Toyota was the bestseller in the four main vehicle categories . Starting with Passenger sales , Toyota achieved 24 %, its higher share YTD , with three slots in the top five : Corolla Cross - SA ’ s bestselling SUV - on 1,526 units , the evergreen Fortuner on 1,343 units ( a record for this model for the year ) and Starlet with sales of 1,259 units . Other meaningful contributions to this segment came from Starlet Cross ( 759 ), Urban
Cruiser ( 586 ) and Vitz ( 473 ). The new Prado continues its retail momentum , racking up 201 sales alongside its stablemate , the flagship Land Cruiser 300 , on 184-unit sales . In the premium space , the popular Lexus NX found 40 new owners in December .
Toyota ’ s LCV market share spiked to a record 42,3 % or 2,926 units in December , which equates to almost one for every two vehicles sold . The Hilux retains its crown as the overall bestseller across all categories , a title it ’ s held for over half a century . Further amplifying the brand ’ s share of the LCV market were the Hiace on 449 units and the Land Cruiser Pick Up which garnered 352 sales for the month .
On the MCV front , Toyota took pole position in the sales race courtesy of the Hino 300 Series ( 154 ), the Coaster ( 53 ) and the Quantum ( 29 ) for a total of 236 units . Still in the commercial space , Toyota also leads in the Heavy category thanks to the Hino 500 Series which attained 110 sales in December .
From a parts ’ perspective , supply for December came in at just under 1,7 million pieces distributed locally , and 277,045 pieces were exported to foreign markets . www . abrbuzz . co . za 11 JANUARY • FEBRUARY • MARCH 2025