Naturally, as humans, we usually look at stats of cars that are best-selling or best performing in terms of sales. The public typically gets these monthly stats from Naamsa (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa), which generally provides an interesting read concerning these topics.
However, what about the worst-performing or worst-selling cars on the market.
Let’s be honest; our emotions may impact our vehicle purchase decisions. We may like to stick to brands that are popular with excellent value for money. Other motorists want to stand out from the crowd with a less popular car. Vehicles’ aesthetics play a large part as well. If it looks good, we look good.
South Africa’s top 10 worst-selling vehicles 20191
Any of the below information should not be seen as advice to buy or not buy a particular car. These cars are not necessarily ‘bad’ or the ‘worst’. This article refers only to independent vehicle sales data. No definitive reasons are given regarding the cause of any vehicle’s sales figures, only general information regarding several potential reasons.
The following car sales data has been obtained by Naamsa for August 2019. The cars featured are in the category of the worst-selling passenger vehicles under R500 000. You may wonder why we refer to cars that cost less than R500 00? The reason for this is that high-end car manufacturers, for example: Ferrari, Bentley, and Maserati would otherwise dominate this list. These highly expensive car makers’ high prices would automatically sell less compared to the average vehicle.
Vehicles that have run-out of stock will not be used in these stats, as they are no longer listed locally on the manufacturer’s website. Also, these vehicles would have officially been discounted locally. Vehicles that have not sold a single unit will also be featured on this list.
- Subaru Impreza R392 000 – 0 units sold
- Fiat Abarth 595 R327 900 – 1 unit sold
- Honda Brio R169 900 – 1 unit sold
- Mini Cooper Convertible R457 000 – 1 unit sold
- Toyota Prius R498 000 – 1 unit sold
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta R363 900 – 2 units sold
- Suzuki Grand Vitara R465 900 – 2 units sold
- GWM M4 R177 400 – 3 units sold
- JMC Landwind X5 R309 880 – 3 units sold
- Honda Civic R364 500 – 6 units sold
Subaru sold none of their Impreza’s in the month of August, while Honda only sold one unit of their Brio’s. This could be that their stock is starting to run dry in South Africa and that their second-generation model will not be coming to South Africa. The Fiat Abarth 595, Mini Cooper Convertible and Toyota Prius also only sold one unit in August 2019.
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Suzuki Grand Vitara only sold two units in August, while the GWM M4 and JMC Landwind X5 mustered up three units each. The Honda Civic did a little bit better than its sibling, the Brio, by selling six units in August 2019.
Many things may cause the low number of monthly vehicle sales. Firstly, low stock of the Honda Brio may have caused the low sales. Secondly, there may be a lack of practicality that the Abarth 595 and Mini Cooper Convertible lack because of their size. Thirdly, the Subaru Impreza could have done worse as there may be no appeal for them and isn’t as attractive and popular than other manufacturers. Alternatively, they are perhaps not good value for money, and perhaps they do not have excellent resale value with the current market.
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Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
Also view:
Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety
Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer
The Online Vehicle Retail Market and Safely Selling Vehicles Online