Suzuki Auto South Africa has set a new record for the number of vehicles sold by dealers to private buyers. Despite a total market decline of 2% and a further drop in passenger vehicle sales of 3.4%, Suzuki’s total sales increased by 9%. Furthermore, dealers set a new overall sales record, growing more than 26%.
This rise in retail sales for Suzuki is a sharp contrast to retail sales in the industry in general. According to Naamsa, the business council for the automotive industry, Suzuki sold 3 857 new cars, SUVs, and commercial vehicles in October. This represents 86% of the total of 4 480 vehicles that Suzuki sold in South Africa last month.
Henno Havenga, the General Manager of Auto Sales and Marketing at Suzuki Auto South Africa, stated that the brand's success was a result of its strategy to provide 'affordable but exciting and desirable vehicles that are also affordable to service and repair' for consumers in a pressure-filled and strenuous economy.
The best-performing Suzuki in October’s sales numbers was the Suzuki Swift, with a total of 1 248 sales. This compact and fuel-conscious vehicle was identified as one of the three finalists in the category for Passenger Car of the Year, based on its overall sales and general popularity.
The Swift won the category for Top Imported Vehicle of the Year in the same awards, and it stands a chance to win another award as it joins the Celerio in this year’s Cars.co.za Consumer Awards as the top two picks for the Entry-level Hatch category.
The S-Presso, the Ertiga, and the Baleno were other best-selling vehicles, with the Suzuki Baleno also winning the Biggest Achiever of the Year award in the Naamsa Accelerator Awards for the passenger vehicle with the greatest year-on-year sales improvement.
Suzuki currently has a total of 102 dealers, with one of its largest dealers, Suzuki Bassonia in Johannesburg, being voted Dealer Achiever of the Year in the Naamsa Accelerator Awards. Suzuki Bassonia particularly stands out as it reached 200 units in retail sales for the second time in October 2023.
Congratulations to all the hard-working individuals involved with these achievements.
