Which vehicles benefitted most from sales to South Africa’s rental industry in January 2023? Let’s take a look at the fleet favourites…
While a sale is a sale, it’s worth noting some models rely more heavily on new-vehicle registrations in the rental industry than others. For the record, the rental channel represents a considerable portion of South Africa’s monthly new-vehicle sales, accounting for 12.1% of the total reported figure of 43 509 units sold in January 2023.
The influence of rental-fleet buyers is even more significant in the passenger-vehicle space, with sales through this channel accounting for 16.2% of 31 072 registrations in the opening month of the year. In short, there are sizeable volumes to be had in this part of the market.
So, which vehicles were most popular with SA’s rental industry in January? Well, we’ve sorted through Naamsa’s sales statistics and picked out the 10 top-selling vehicles to rental companies last month. Interestingly, Suzuki had 3 models in the top 10 … or 4, if you count the Starlet the company builds for Toyota.
Having placed 3rd on the list of South Africa’s best-selling vehicles overall in January with a figure of 2 037 registrations, the aforementioned Baleno-based Toyota Starlet was the strongest-selling model through the rental channel, where 777 units (or 38% of its total) were reported. Next came the 10-year-old Nissan Almera sedan, with 511 units (or a whopping 65% of its 785-unit total).
The Suzuki Swift (456 units out of a total of 1 499) took 3rd place, just ahead of the locally built Toyota Corolla Cross (425 units out of 2 042), which grabbed the title of SA’s best-selling passenger vehicle for the month. The Renault Kwid (342 units out of 657, or 52%) slotted into 5th position, while the Volkswagen Polo finished 6th, with 283 units (out of its total of 1 144 units) sold to rental buyers.
The Kia Picanto (256 units out of 640) placed 7th, a mere 4 registrations ahead of the Volkswagen Polo Vivo (252 units out of 1 054). The 2nd sedan on the list was the 9th-placed Suzuki Dzire (250 units out of 510), while the Suzuki Celerio (170 units out of 285) closed out the table, relying on the rental channel for 60% of its sales.
10 top-selling vehicles to SA’s rental industry in January 2023
1. Toyota Starlet – 777 units (out of 2 037)
2. Nissan Almera – 511 units (out of 785)
3. Suzuki Swift – 456 (out of 1 499)
4. Toyota Corolla Cross – 425 units (out of 2 042)
5. Renault Kwid – 342 units (out of 657)
6. Volkswagen Polo Hatch – 283 units (out of 1 144)
7. Kia Picanto – 256 units (out of 640)
8. Volkswagen Polo Vivo – 252 units (out of 1 054)
9. Suzuki Dzire – 250 units (out of 510)
10. Suzuki Celerio – 170 units (out of 285)
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